The Blacksmith's Apprentice
by jazzhands14
Summary: Sam Evans is the innkeeper's son. He was left at her doorstep and has no memory of his parents. When the life of one of his friends is threatened by a corrupt monarchy, Sam finds himself on the run, a fugitive. Along the way, he finds that he's not alone, hurt by these people. As his army grows, he finds that everyone has a story to tell and a life to fight for. Together, they can.
1. Chapter 1

The Blacksmith's Apprentice Chapter 1-Ostvale

_**Hello! I haven't posted anything in a very long time! But, I have this idea, and I like it a lot, but I'm very busy, so I'm only going to go through with it if I get a really positive response on this first Chapter. If I continued, many other characters would be introduced as time goes on, and each would have their own story. They may be different from their Glee selves in slight ways, but for the most part I will try to keep them the same (For example, and I'm sorry in advance, but Blaine is going to be straight, don't get me wrong, I am super pro-gay! But I plan on having Blaine be a large character, and I'm not a huge fan of Kurt...so if Blaine were gay, then I'd have to have Kurt be a big character). Some pairings will be the same as in the Gleeverse, some will not, and some characters from there won't exist in here, like Artie, Mike, Sugar, Joe, Rory, Ryder, Jake and Unique. Faculty will also not be present, cause I don't like em too much. **_

**_Now that I've pretty much convinced you NOT to read this, please read it, hahah! I think it's really good, and it's a fascinating scenario for these characters to be in. Oh! It's also a 'song-fic' at points, in that, they break out into song. I'll put the links up here._**

**_ watch?v=bjPqsDU0j2I_**

**_ watch?v=8AJcuJRLG7U_**

**_Okay! So, that's my big long note! I hope you enjoy it, so that I can keep writing it and introduce Santana and Rachel and the others! I do not own Glee, on with the story!_**

**Once Upon A Time**

"Papa! Papa!" A boisterous young boy scurried into his father's study, a tiny puppy skittering along at his heels.

The boy darted to the side and the dog, unable to stop himself, smacked into the door.

The man at the desk turned and grinned at his boy, laughing good-naturedly at his canine sidekick, who now sat shaking his head in apparent confusion as to when, exactly, that door had jumped into his path.

"What is it?" He smiled, plucking his son off the ground and setting him on his lap. "Is there a goblin under your bed again?" He asked.

The little boy giggled as the man stood up, shifting his son onto his hip and raising an arm triumphantly.

"Shall I vanquish it?" He boomed, loudly.

"No, no Papa!" The little boy laughed.

"Well what then?" He laughed, setting his son down on the floor. "Did you see a phoenix through your window? You know that means good luck!"

The little boy laughed again and the puppy crawled clumsily over, plopping his butt down on the ground next to him.

"Oh, I know..." The man said slyly, leaning down so he towered over his son. "Is it a monster? Because I've seen a monster lurking about around here recently!" He raised his arms ominously.

The little boy's eyes widened magnificently and he held his puppy tightly against his chest.

"Really Papa? What kind of monster?" He asked, barely whispering.

"A _tickle _monster!" He yelled, grabbing one of his son's bare feet and wiggling his fingers against the soft childish skin. The little boy shrieked and writhed with gasping laughter, rolling around on the floor and flailing against his father.

"Oh my!" A woman appeared at the door, rubbing her hands on a dish towel. "Let him breathe!" She laughed, smiling at her husband. He grinned up at her with a cheesy smile.

"Alright, alright." He sat back on his heels and grinned at his son. "What is it son?"

"Will you and Mama tell me a story?" He asked. The little puppy yipped happily in agreement.

The man turned and locked eyes with his smiling wife. She laughed and shook her head, tucking the dish cloth into the sash of her belt and entering the study.

"A story?" The woman grinned broadly. "What kind of story?" She picked her little boy up under the arms and plopped him down on top of his desk.

The little puppy jumped up at the legs of the desk, barking indignantly.

The man laughed and picked it up too, holding it up to his face and rubbing noses with it.

"I suppose you want a story too?" He asked; a twinkle in his eye. The dog barked and licked him. "Alright than." He smiled, setting the puppy down next to his son.

"What kind of story did you want to hear?" She asked.

The little boy looked at the puppy, almost as if he were validating their request before turning back to his parents.

"Will you tell us..._that _story?" He asked, looking pointedly at them both.

The man's eyes softened and he turned to look out the window at the snow that was softly falling outside, creating a blanket of white around the forest behind their home.

"_That _story?" His wife asked. She sat down in the chair next to the large fireplace that flickered on one wall of the study. "You know how sad it gets..." She frowned.

"I know." The little boy nodded, smile gone, a serious expression on his face. "But...it's the truth, isn't it? It's...real."

The man laughed lightly, still looking out at the forest.

"That much is true." He held a hand up against the pane of glass, looking at the deep scarring along his arm.

The little boy set his face.

"You're my parents." He said. "You're...you're real life heroes! Not just stories in books! Please tell me...tell us?" He asked. The man turned back to his son, and the woman glanced away from the fire.

"Okay..." The man smiled softly.

"We'll tell you..." His wife locked eyes with him.

The man lifted up his son and pulled another chair over next to the fire. He sat down and rested his son on his lap. The woman looked at the puppy and then tapped her lap. It barked excitably and jumped down onto the floor, scrabbling against the wood. It jumped up at her shins and she smiled, lifting it into the air.

Both parents locked eyes and opened their mouths at the same time.

Together, they began.

"Once upon a time..."

* * *

**The Innkeeper's Son**

A mischievous teenage boy ran laughing through town square. His long blonde hair rippled as he sped past store fronts. He beamed at passing people and waved at the familiar faces that ran the local shops.

The boy was well known by most of the citizens in Ostvale. He was always willing to lend a helping hand, and was quick to offer a smile and a kind greeting to those he met.

He'd been adopted by the innkeeper at a young age, and nobody knew much about his biological family, but he was so kind to everybody, that people could hardly imagine a life without him.

"Hey, kid!" A booming voice yelled out, he turned, slowing to a jog as he passed by the Blacksmith's shop.

"Yes sir?" He asked, looking back at the burly man.

"Where are you running off to?" The man grunted.

"I was gonna' go and visit my friend!" He said.

"Well, how's about having a little chat with me? It'll be worth your while!" He swiped hair out of his eyes and smeared his forehead with grease.

The boy shrugged. There was crime in his town, but no more than in any other, and despite an intimidating appearance, he'd only ever heard good things about the town blacksmith.

"Sure!" He smiled. "He can wait." He laughed. The man smiled tightly and nodded.

"Alright, how'd you like a job?" He leaned against the post holding the canopy above his storefront and rested his massive hammer in his hands.

"A job?" The boy laughed. "Here? Sir, I have no idea how to craft weaponry! I'm the inn keeper's son! The closest I've ever come to forging metal is when a bed pan gets a dent and I have to bang it out!"

The man stared at him levelly. The square was relatively busy at all hours, but in the early morning as it was, there weren't many adventurers out and about looking for the blacksmith's assistance.

The boy didn't know much about adventuring, but his adoptive mother ran the inn downtown, and he'd found that most of the adventurers liked to sleep in when they had the chance. He supposed that if he had to spend most of his life sleeping in caves or up trees, he'd probably relish a bed when he had one too.

"Look kid, what's your name?"

"Sam Evans, sir!" He reached a hand out to shake the older man's hand. The blacksmith nodded and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Alright Sam, you can call me Bruce." He waved at somebody passing by before turning back to Sam. "The issue is this; I get tired back in that shop of mine after long periods of time, and I miss out on plenty of customers when I'm back there working on an order. I could always do orders after I close up shop, but then I'd never have any time to sleep!"

Sam nodded slowly.

"So you want me to be here so you don't have to worry about missing out on customers?" He asked. "I'm sure I can manage that!"

"Now hold on there, son. If I'm gonna hire you, you'll have to learn some ironworking skills as well. Like I said, it gets tiring in that shop sometimes, but if I had somebody to swap with every now and then, I would get a break from the heat, _and _I would double my revenue!" He looked at Sam seriously. "What do you say?"

Sam bit his lip.

"I don't know..." He hesitated. "I've never even held a sword! Let alone crafted one!"

"I'll tell you what. You think it over and get back to me. I know it's a pretty forward offer, but you never know, it could be a pretty useful skill to have later in life!" He grinned, nodding at him.

"Thank you, sir! I'll get back to you as soon as I can! I appreciate the offer, at the very least!" Sam waved to him and turned away, jogging back down the street.

Working as an innkeeper, his adoptive mother made a decent amount of money, about as much as other folks, but Ostvale wasn't the most popular tourist city, so they usually didn't have a whole lot of money for amenities.

If he accepted the blacksmith's proposal, however, he could buy himself things! He wouldn't have to feel as though he were burdening his mother when he asked for new shoes or some snack money to give to the man who ran the fruit stand, or the butcher.

On the other hand, it would mean buckling down and giving away most of his free time. How often would he be able to see his friends? Would he be able to continue helping out at the inn?

What if he ruined somebody's weapon and cost the Blacksmith a customer? What if he ruined them all? Oh, this was far too complicated a decision to think about on his own. Quinn would know, she had a good head on her shoulders, even when Sam's was off in the clouds.

"Hello Mrs. Fabray!" Sam smiled at the woman who stood at the doorway of her store. The scents of various types of bread and pastry wafted through the doorway and Sam made a noise of famished approval.

"Hello Sam." The light haired woman smiled at him. "Quinn's just upstairs; would you like a little treat? It's a new type of loaf that I've been working on with nuts and honey!" She clapped her hands eagerly.

"Sure!" He grinned. She nodded and hurried back into her shop. Sam stood watch to make sure she didn't miss any customers. Of all of the businesses in Ostvale, Mrs. Fabray was one of the most successful. Her bounty of delicious treats and welcoming attitude made her a frequent stop for anybody who could afford it, and sometimes even those who could not.

She had even taken to setting aside a few loafs of regular bread for the homeless or ill citizens of Ostvale. It wasn't much, but it was free and a lot more than they would usually get.

As far as Sam understood, Quinn and her parents had gone through some rough times not too long ago, and he'd left them behind. After he left her and Quinn left to live with a friend for a while, Mrs. Fabray made some new life choices.

Sam was pretty pumped with the situation actually, because he got free food out of it! Oh, and Quinn had a happy, healthy relationship with her mother now.

"Here you are!" She returned with a slice of steaming golden bread in hand. Sam accepted it hastily and dug in. It was, as he'd anticipated, phenomenal; sweet, but nutty at the same time, and still warm from the oven.

"This is so good! Delicious!" He grinned, polishing it off. "Best I've ever had, actually. Yum!" He rubbed his stomach for emphasis.

"Perfect!" Mrs. Fabray laughed. "I'll have to figure out a selling price than!"

"Go high, it's worth it!" Sam suggested before popping into the delicious home-bakery and hopping up the stairs two at a time.

He found Quinn in her room, sitting on her bed reading a book.

"Hi!" He waved quickly. "Sorry I'm late!"

"That's okay!" Quinn smiled at him and lowered her book. "You look excited!" She laughed.

"I just got offered a job!" He grinned. She beamed and carefully tabbed the page she was on. She delicately set the book on the table to the side of her rickety wooden bed.

"A job? That's exciting!" She said. "Where at?"

"The Blacksmith's! I'm gonna be his apprentice!" He grinned, pantomiming fashioning a blade. He paused. "I don't know how to be a Blacksmith though..." He frowned.

"Well he'll obviously teach you!" She said. "You should do it! You could use the extra money!"

"But what if I ruin one of his orders or something?"

"He'll teach you!" She repeated. "And if you mess it up, it's metal, so you can always melt it down and start again."

"That's true..." He paused, thinking it over. "I won't have much free time though..."

"You'll still have evenings free, and I'm sure you'll have _some_ time off." Quinn pointed out, scoffing slightly.

Sam mulled this over as well.

"I think I'll take it! I mean, it'd be cool!" He concluded.

"Good for you! You can go and accept if you want, before he offers it to somebody else!"

"Why don't you come with me?" He asked.

Quinn looked at her book with barely concealed longing.

"Oh come on! You're always reading or working out or being..._productive-_" He crinkled his nose. "-when you aren't working! You don't do anything for fun!"

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Electric Light Orchestra: Mr. Blue Sky-**

"Those things are fun!" Quinn protested.

"In moderation!" He laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to face the window. "Look out there! It's a beautiful day!"

"But my book..."

"Come on Quinn..." He paused and a glint in his eye was all the warning she got before he burst into song. _"Sun is shinin' in the sky! There ain't a cloud in sight!"_ He pulled her away from the window and past the bed._ "It's stopped rainin' ev'rybody's in a play"_

Bursting out the door, he grabbed the banister and slid down it, pulling her down the stairs after him."_And don't you know It's a beautiful new day hey,hey" _He extended his hand to her and she took it with a role of her eyes.

Mrs. Fabray waved to them, laughing as Sam pulled her daughter out onto the street. Once again he was running, waving at people he passed.

"_Runnin' down the avenue, see how the sun shines brightly in the city! On the streets where once was pity." _He grabbed her and pointed upwards as they reached the center of town. "_Mister blue sky is living here today hey, hey."_

Several of the villagers walking past glanced up, looking almost sad as they bustled about their day to day chores.

"_Mister blue sky please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long, where did we go wrong?"_ They all sang as they passed by Sam and Quinn. Sam pulled Quinn atop the fountain in the center of town, pointing out different clouds and shapes as the villagers repeated themselves. _"Mister blue sky please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long, where did we go wrong?"_

Sam laughed brightly and Quinn joined him as he pulled her off of the fountain and back into the streets. He led her towards where a street performer was juggling several eggs. Sam jumped in eagerly and began juggling the eggs back and forth.

_"Hey you with the pretty face, welcome to the human race!" _Sam sang, grinning at her teasingly. The street performer looked over, grinning and joined Sam in harmony. _"A celebration, mister blue sky's up there waitin' and today is the day we've waited for!"_

Sam waved to him thankfully before pulling Quinn away again. The performer waved happily at them, and then scowled as all three eggs smashed against his head. The crowd of people around him paused, hissing in disapproval.

_"Mister blue sky please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long, where did we go wrong?" _They sang to each other, nodding in agreement with one all then turned, following along after Sam and Quinn. "_Hey there mister blue! We're so pleased to be with you,  
look around see what you do, ev'rybody smiles at you."_

Quinn looked back at them and tapped Sam on the shoulder, pointing. He noticed them and grinned, joining them. "_Hey there mister blue! We're so pleased to be with you,  
look around see what you do, ev'rybody smiles at you."_ Sam ran towards the Blacksmith, nodding at him and raising his hand.

The Blacksmith chuckled and tossed him an empty pipe which he deftly caught. He turned back towards Quinn and held it to his mouth, continuing to sing as it distorted his voice.

_ "Mister blue sky, mister blue sky!" _He sang to her. She burst out laughing, eyes sparkling with mirth. "_Mister blue sky" _He tossed the pipe back to the Blacksmith and continued to walk through town with Quinn at his side and a growing number of citizens oohing behind him.

_ "Mister blue, you did it right, but soon comes mister night creepin' over!" _He grabbed Quinn's shoulders and peeked around her, laughing. "_Now his hand is on your shoulder. Never mind I'll remember you this! I'll remember you this way!" _

Sam sat Quinn atop a fenced Quinn near a produce shop and then hopped up next to her, both of them rocking back and forth as the villagers sang together. Behind them, the cows and chickens began to approach curiously.

_ "Mister blue sky please tell us why! You had to hide away for so long, where did we go wrong?" _They all sang. Sam jumped off, grabbed a piece of straw from the ground and grinned at her. "_Hey there mister blue, we're so pleased to be with you! Look around see what you do, ev'rybody smiles at you!"_

Sam began to wave the straw in the air, directing the cows and chickens to moo and cluck in songlike pattern. Eventually he dropped the cows out and pointed at the roosters, who puffed up their chests and bawked as deeply as they could.

Quinn almost died of laughter, clapping her hands excitedly. Sam dropped the straw, bowed to the animals and watched as they bowed back. He grinned and took Quinn by the arm, parading back through town as the villagers sang behind them.

The energy began to slow down and he sat them both back down on the fountain. Slowly the group of villagers following them began to trickle away until only a little boy remained, standing with the pipe Sam had thrown back to the Blacksmith.

Quinn smiled at him and beckoned him closer and he brought the pipe to his mouth, as Sam had done not too long ago.

_"Mister blue sky!"_ He struggled through the words. When he was finished he dropped the pipe and beamed at Sam who ruffled his hair and sent him on his way.

"You see?" Sam laughed, turning to his friend. She smiled at him, eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"I do." She laughed and he fist-pumped. "Now it's your turn!"

"Huh?"

"Seize the day! Go accept the job!" She grinned and then looked up at the sky. "I mean, it's already such a beautiful day, why don't you make it even better?" She smiled.

He paused. She was right, she tended to be.

He jumped up and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet once again. She laughed at his bubbly childlike energy and followed along.

The Blacksmith grinned as they approached and hastily finished up an order.

"I knew I hadn't seen the last of you." He beamed.

"No sir! I'm here to accept!"

"So you'll do it?"

"Just call me..." He paused and looked at Quinn, smiling. "The Blacksmith's Apprentice!"

**Destined For Greatness**

* * *

"The Blacksmith's Apprentice huh?"

Sam fell back onto his bed, nodding as another friend of his stepped through the door to his room.

Brittney Pierce was Sam's other best friend, with a pale complexion and straight blone hair similar to Quinn's. She had a light-hearted, joking air about her, and most of the things that she said were in the name of a good time, whether she meant them to be or not.

"Yep!" Sam grinned and then looked up. "Watch the lamps this time... you've already broken three..." He laughed. Brittney pursed her lips and looked around shiftily, instantly pulling his hand away from the stack of kerosene lamps that littered one wall of Sam's bedroom.

Unfortunately, the lamps weren't the only thing cluttering up Sam's room. He also had a good length of metal piping on the floor and several large swathes of carpet. His room doubled as a storage unit for any supplies that his mother liked to keep around for the guests of the inn.

"No, look at it this way, I _only_ broke three." Brittney said. "I blame Lord Tubbington. If he didn't coax me into eating his cat food on Sundays, I wouldn't have had a food baby every time. My balance was off."

"You still broke three! You just changed the wording!" Sam said, disregarding her speech about her cat. He had gotten over Brittney's firm belief that Lord Tubbington could talk to her long ago.

"Yeah." Brittney nodded. "But it _sounds_ better my way." She picked up one of the pipes and began to wave it around, pantomiming a sword. "Will you make me a weapon now that you're a professional Blacksmith who knows everything there is to know about making any weapon in the world ever?"

Sam laughed, sitting up on his bed and ducking as Brittney almost hit him with the pipe.

"What would you need a weapon for?"

"Because there's gonna be a massive invasion and I'm gonna have to rescue everybody with my super awesome combat skills." Brittney looked at him like he was stupid before trying, and failing, to flip the pipe around in his hands.

It went flying off to the side.

They both cringed at the sound of breaking glass.

"...Four."

"Brittney!" Sam's mother screamed up the stairs.

"It wasn't me!" Brittney yelled innocently, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Yeah right! This is the fourth one! You're paying for the next one!" She yelled.

"It was Lo-!" She cringed.

"And don't you blame that cat again!"

Brittney looked at Sam.

Sam looked at Brittney.

They both burst out laughing, Sam collapsing on his bed and Brittney leaning against the door for support.

"Seriously though, I really can't break anything else." Brittney laughed. "My Dad got so mad at me last time that he took away my copy of The Little Old Lady Who Lived In A Shoe. And the shoe that I keep her in. Fathers can be so mean to little old women sometimes, you know?"

They both fell silent suddenly, Sam's hysterical grin slowly melting off of his face. He caught Brittney's eye and offered a weak smile.

"Umm, no...no I don't." He laughed bitterly.

"Oh...I'm so sorry..." Brittney frowned. "I totally forgot."

"It's fine..." Sam smiled. It was a fake smile, and they both knew it, but it wasn't Brittney's fault, and they both knew that as well.

They both lapsed into silence for a moment before Sam's mother broke it, yelling up the stairs that Brittney's father wanted him to go home to help out at the shop.

"Alright!" Brittney yelled back, before looking back at his best friend. "I really am sorry...feel better." She frowned and gave him a tight hug, then ducked out of the room.

Sam gave a half-hearted wave goodbye before falling backwards on the bed, sighing.

He loved his mother, he really did, but he couldn't understand what it was about him that had made him not worth keeping. Was he diseased? Had his parents felt he didn't deserve their love, and so had tossed him away like he was garbage?

In his head, Sam imagined that his parents had been killed saving his adoptive mother and the rest of Ostvale from a gigantic monster that was threatening the entire kingdom. In his imagination, Sam's mother thrust Sam's infant-self into the arms of his adoptive mother and said that it was her job to raise him now.

He knew that that was probably not the case. He'd read the books, he'd heard the stories; most homeless children were just the result of alcohol and then an unwillingness to raise a child.

"Sam?" A voice snapped him out of his revere and he looked up to find his mother standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "I've been calling you for at least five minutes, what are you fantasising about this time?" She scoffed.

"Nothing..." He looked down at the ground.

"Well the occupants in the third room need you to help them lug their supplies down the stairs while they go out and purchase some last minute goods." She nodded and turned to leave.

He looked up.

"Mom?" He asked.

"Yes?" She turned back to him.

"Who are my parents?" He asked.

She sighed and closed her eyes tightly. He suspected that she'd known this day would come. He had always meant to ask her, but had never managed to work up the nerve. Now it seemed that the day had arrived.

"I don't know." She sighed.

"You don't know?" He paused. He'd spent eighteen years waiting for her answer to his question, and that was it? He would've preferred a harsh reality to more uncertainty.

"No...I'm sorry Sam." She frowned. "You just, sort of, showed up on the doorstep one day." She paused suddenly.

He fell silent. So he _had_ just been abandoned...

"That's it?" He asked.

"Well..." She trailed off.

"What?"

"Wait here. I do have something for you." She stood up and left the room.

Instead of waiting, he followed her to her room, where she was digging through a chest of drawers that rested at the foot of her bed.

"What are you looking for?" He asked.

"This!" She said triumphantly, holding up a tightly folded, old looking wad of paper.

"A piece of paper?"

"A note. It was tied around your neck with a bit of yarn when I found you." She handed it to him, daintily and he took it with trembling hands.

Whatever was written on the note, regardless of how insignificant it might be, it was from his parents. His biological parents. He looked at his mother and then turned, walking out of the room and jogging down the hallway towards his own room.

"Sam!" His mother yelled after him.

He reached his room and closed the door, leaning against it. He heard her feet come to rest on the other side, but he didn't open it again.

"Sam..." She whispered through the crack. "I'm sorry."

He didn't respond. He just stood there, waiting, looking out the window at the moon that glistened in the sky. Slowly her footsteps faded away down the stairs.

"I wish I had a family..." He whispered.

* * *

"Where were you?" Brittney's father yelled as she stepped through the door.

"I was at Sam's..." Brittney said irritably. Her father was constantly being an asshole to her, and it drained her. Brittney was a pretty happy girl, but when people treated her like she was stupid...like her father did...it got hard.

"It's a work day!" Her father snapped

"It's not even day anymore!" Brittney shot back, moving towards the staircase that led up to her bedroom. Her father stepped in the way and shoved her backwards. Brittney looked to the side and bit her lip to keep from saying anything he would regret.

"Don't you talk back to me! I'm your father." Brittney's father snarled.

"You don't act like it..." Brittney mumbled.

There was a moment of silence where they both stared at one another, the veins in her father's neck bulging angrily. Brittney shrank back. Well...that might've fallen under the category of something she'd regret...oops.

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't mean tha-" Brittney started.

"Get out of my house." Her father's nose crinkled up with disgust.

"Wh-what?"

"Get out!" He snapped. "You stupid girl!"

There was another tense silence between them, a struggle for power, neither of them particularly keen on giving up. Eventually, Brittney snapped her head away.

"Fine!" Brittney yelled. "You know, this is why mom left!" She turned and stormed back out the door into the night.

She ran until her lungs hurt, and then she ran some more. Soon she found herself wandering through the streets in another part of town. She slowed to a dragging walk, looking up at the moon.

"I wish I had a home..." She whispered, tearing up.

* * *

Quinn was just closing up shop when a young couple walked up to ask for a loaf of bread.

"That'll be four copper please." She smiled at them.

"Here's five." The boy said, giving his girlfriend a peck and dropping the coins into Quinn's hand. "Keep the change." They took the loaf and walked off, the girl watching Quinn over her shoulder.

"Maybe she can use the change to buy herself a boyfriend." The girl snickered. Quinn froze and looked down at the money, trying to pretend she hadn't heard.

"I think she's very pretty." The boyfriend said defensively.

"Pretty, yeah, but she's got the sex appeal of a-" Whatever she was going to say next was lost on Quinn, as she dropped the coins to the ground.

Pretty, she'd been told her whole life that she was pretty. Pretty hair, pretty eyes, pretty mouth, pretty frame. But as her friends grew up and became sexy, Quinn just kept being pretty. Sam and Brittney often told her that there wasn't anything wrong with 'not being slutty' but...Quinn just wished that, just once, she could turn somebody's head just by walking into a room.

Maybe that was shallow, maybe there wasn't anything wrong with being pretty, but pretty had never gotten her a _real_ boyfriend, and pretty had never gotten her kissed. Pretty had made her the love interest to any number of weird guys, and the best friend to those that were dateable.

She sighed as she collected the coins, slipping them into a cloth bag to count and separate later on to check what their profit for the day was. She looked up at the moon.

"I wish I had love..." She whispered.

* * *

Sam felt sad, sadder than he'd ever felt before, lonelier than he'd ever felt before, because even though he was suddenly so much closer to his parents, he was still just as far away.

With trembling fingers he unfolded the paper. He was so nervous that he dropped it twice, and he grabbed for it, but missed as it floated down into the oil that had spilt when Brittney broke the lamp.

Sam dropped to his knees, crying out in panic, and grabbed it, wiping the oil off on his shirt and hastily unfolding the note. It was stained now, from the oil, but it was still legible. There in big scrawling ink, were ten simple words.

"Take care of my son...he'll be great some day." He whispered aloud, reading by the light of the moon. He stared at it numbly for quite some time. He wasn't sure how long, but he was startled out of his numbness when something dripped down onto the page.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Christina Perri: The Lonely-**

With a start, he realized that he was crying. Looking up, he felt the moonlight against his skin, and with the salty taste of his own tears in his mouth, he sang.

_"Two A.M...Where do I begin? Crying off my face again..." _He sang, looking back down at the note. _"The silent sound of loneliness, wants to follow me to bed..." _He whispered bitterly.

Slowly, Sam rose to his feet, the note still in hand, eyes tracing every gentle curl of the letters.

_"I'm a ghost of a boy...that I want to be most..." _He looked up again, allowing the moonlight to catch his face. "_I'm the shadow of a boy that I used to know well..." _

* * *

_"Dancing slowly in an empty room!" _Quinn sang, looking up at the stars, pausing in the doorway of her home._ "Can the lonely take the place of you? _She sighed and ducked inside.

* * *

"_I sing myself a quiet lullaby...let you go and let the lonely in...to take my heart again..." _Brittney sang as she walked, kicking a loose cobblestone across the road. She blinked back tears, looking back in the direction of her old home. _"Too afraid, to go inside..." _

* * *

_"For the pain of one more loveless night..." _Quinn sang as she climbed the stairs to her room.

* * *

_"For the loneliness will stay with me..." _Brittney whispered, stepping out onto the main street of town.

* * *

_"And hold me till I fall asleep..." _Quinn cried as she sank onto her bed. _"I'm the ghost of a girl...that I want to be most..."_

* * *

_"I'm the shell of a girl that I used to know well..." _Brittney sang, sitting down on the fountain's edge.

* * *

_"Dancing slowly in an empty room!" _Sam belted. _"Can the lonely take the place of you?" _

He looked down at the note in his hand and stepped through the door of his room onto the balcony that overlooked the street.

_"I sing myself a quiet lullaby! Let you go and let the lonely in...to take my heart again..." _

* * *

_"Broken pieces of..." _Quinn sang, standing, tears streaking down her face. She looked out her window at the moon. _"A barely breathing story..." _

* * *

_"Where there once was love..." _Brittney stood, imagining her mother taking her hand. _"Now there's only me." _The phantom image faded slowly away.

* * *

_"And the lonely!" _Sam wailed, the wind picking up and whipping his clothing around. _"Dancing slowly in an empty room! Can the lonely take the place of you?" _His fingers tightened around the note._ "I sing myself a quiet lullaby! Let you go and let the lonely in…to take my heart again." _He lifted the note and pulled his arm back.

There he stood, for several moments, but eventually, with trembling lips and a tear-stained face, he lowered his arm and re-entered his room. He set the piece of paper on the bedside table and fell into his bed. He cast the only thing he had left of his parents one final look, before a saddened sleep overcame him. At least they believed in him...whoever they were.

* * *

"Brittney?" Quinn whispered suddenly, movement catching her eye through the window.

There her friend stood, stumbling along down the road with the drunken grace that only the truly distraught could manage. Hastily she grabbed her sweater and ran down the stairs, pulling it on.

Brittney was so lost in her own misery that she didn't even notice Quinn until she was right beside her.

"Brittney, what are you doing out here so late?" Quinn asked, practically yelling over the wind. "It's a work day tomorrow; you should be getting some rest!"

Brittney sighed, and the hurt in her eyes broke Quinn's already broken heart, but for a different reason. Brittney was her friend, and she was normally such a happy person!

"I don't have anywhere's _to _rest anymore." She smiled tightly, but the lump in her throat was obvious. She prayed that Quinn would let it go.

Quinn frowned, opened her mouth with a quizzical glance, and then closed it again. Whatever had happened, Brittney clearly didn't want to talk about it. She took her hand and began to walk her into her house.

"Quinn-" Brittney protested.

"I'm not going to make you sleep on the streets. We have a spare bedroom. We wash it regularly so you should be fine." She explained as she pulled her inside.

Brittney paused inside the door and smiled at her.

"Thanks."

"Well did you really think I was going to let you go homeless?" Quinn asked incredulously, smiling.

Brittney shrugged and Quinn's smile softened.

"Oh Brittney." She said tenderly. "That may be the stupidest thing you've ever not-said to me. And you've not-said some pretty dumb things." She teased.

Brittney laughed and swatted at her but she ducked out of the way.

"I'll get you some blankets."

"Thanks Quinn." She smiled. At least she had a house...even if it wasn't a home...

"No problem." Quinn nodded. At least she had somebody to love...even if it wasn't in the kind of love that she really wanted...

* * *

**A Lamb Sentenced To Slaughter**

"Hi Bruce." Brittney grinned lopsidedly as she slipped past the Blacksmith and into the shop where her friend was hard at work.

"Don't break anything this time kid!" Bruce yelled over the roar of the rain.

"I won't!" Brittney held up her hands innocently and then ran them through her soaking hair. Amused, she turned and walked towards the back of the shop where her friend was hard at work.

Sam, as it turned out, was a natural craftsman, and had taken to the art of blacksmithing with remarkable ease. He rarely fumbled an order, and had helped to almost triple the Blacksmith's clientele with his efficient but accurate workmanship.

In exchange for being such a wonderful employee, Bruce the Blacksmith often allowed Brittney or Quinn to drop by, and though he was gruff and intimidating, it was clear that he'd developed a fondness for them both.

"Hey!" Sam said, smiling but not looking up. He leveled his eyes on the metal bar that he was sticking into the coals of a large cast-iron furnace.

"What's up?" Brittney grinned, jumping up onto a large table stacked with iron beams. She reached over to grab one and successfully managed topple them all to the floor with a deafening crash.

Sam froze and looked up at his friend with accusing eyes. Brittney blinked; one hand still on the beam she'd reached out to collect.

"_Brittney_!" The Blacksmith yelled.

"It wasn't me!" She lied, hastily dropping to the floor to recollect them.

"You have to stop breaking things at my workplaces." Sam laughed. When the metal had turned a bright white color he removed it and set the heated part upon a large fulcrum.

"I'm confused, you should be thanking me." Brittney said levelly. "I just dented some of them…which is what you do for a living anyways."

"It is not!" Sam said as he grabbed a hammer and began to bash the metal beam against the fulcrum with wild abandon. He paused and caught Brittney's eye. "Okay maybe a little bit."

Brittney laughed and began to slowly place the beams back on the table, amusing herself by creating a pyramid.

"How's living at Quinn's?" Sam asked conversationally, going back to his work. He bashed the beam one final time and smiled as the extra metal fell away from the end, leaving him with a blade sized length to work with.

"Sweet!" Brittney grinned. "Her mom makes the best everythings." She said seriously. "They're so good, I think she might be injecting them with dopamine."

Sam nodded, sticking the cooling metal back into the coals.

"Oh I know. Did she give you that Honey Nut Loaf thing?" He asked.

Brittney's eyes glazed over contentedly.

"That was my breakfast." Brittney grinned. "And lunch. And brunch. And snack."

Sam laughed and removed the blade again, walking over to another station where an anvil rested. He grabbed a different hammer and set the hot end of the bar atop the anvil. Smiling jauntily he began to bash away at the end, gradually beating it into a point.

"Where is Quinn anyways?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, she got this book-"

Sam groaned loudly.

"Mod-er-a-tion!" He yelled, bashing the metal with each syllable. Brittney laughed and held up her hands defensively as Sam crossed the room again to stick the metal back into the coals until it was white hot again.

"She's been getting better at going outside just because. Mostly because I keep ripping her books for fun." Brittney said. "But have you seen the weather out there?"

"No, I've been in here since dawn." Sam laughed, wiping at his eyes resulting in a smudged warrior-esque line across his cheek that Brittney noticed, but didn't bother to point out.

"It's been pouring down rain for hours now." He said. "I think God is crying. Maybe it's his time of the month."

"Really?" Sam asked, looking up. He lifted the blade and swung it from side to side experimentally. He pursed his lips and then returned it to the anvil to beat against it some more.

"Yeah, I actually had to swim part of the way here."

"Really?"

"No." Brittney deadpanned. "Sam I was obviously kidding. Why can't you tell?"

Sam paused and looked at her blankly before bursting out into laughter again.

"What's so funny?" Bruce bellowed as he re-entered the shop.

"Me." Brittney grinned. Bruce chuckled and clapped her on the back.

"How's this Bruce?" Sam asked, lifting the blade and turning it slowly so that it glinted in the firelight. Bruce took it from him and began running his gloved fingers along it.

"Smooth, sharp, nicely tapered, probably a good sword for an amateur, not too dangerous if casually swung around." He paused and looked up at Sam, smiling. "A fine sword indeed."

Sam grinned, face blackened from smoke. Bruce crossed to a faucet in the far corner above the wash basin within which they cooled the metal.

"You've got something on your face there kid." He laughed.

"Where?" Sam asked, instinctively pressing his hands against his face.

Calmly Brittney stood and approached, removing Sam's hands and raising her own as if to approximate the smudge.

"Just, like...everywhere." She said, laughing and shoving Sam back, face-palming him.

Sam scowled and shoved her off, but then grinned good-naturedly.

"Here, wash up." Bruce laughed, soaking a wet rag and then tossing it to him. Obediently Sam caught it and began to remove the filth from his face.

"But if you're the next great swords-maker, why do you still have to take baths?" Brittney asked seriously.

"Now hold on, I said that sword was fine." The Blacksmith said, puffing out his chest.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked; looking mildly put out.

"That sword was fine, but it wasn't great! I'll show you a great sword." He said, unclipping the leather scabbard on his belt.

Sam watched eagerly; he'd never actually witnessed the Blacksmith's personal sword, but he'd always been curious as to what that scabbard hid.

Slowly the Blacksmith withdrew a long, sleek weapon, with a deadly looking blade. The color of the blade changed from a bright white to a dark onyx depending on where the light hit it. The hilt was made of dark blue leather, and was wrapped with a dark yellow cord to provide optimum grip, and was imbedded with five bright purple crystals.

Great was an understatement, Sam couldn't help but think.

This sword was phenomenal.

The Blacksmith grinned, wielding the sword as if it were a child. He looked at it with the pride of a father, but held it with the deadly grip of a warrior.

Brittney gawked and reached forwards to touch it, but no sooner had she taken a step, than the sword was back in its leather scabbard.

"That was prettier than the lazy princess in the story books who slept in forever..." Brittney pouted.

"Prettier! This sword is never to be touched." Bruce said, staring at both of them levelly, making sure to make eye contact with each before moving on.

"Why not?" Sam asked politely.

"Because this is the sword of a hero." He said. "Only a true hero can wield a weapon as mighty as this one." He stroked the scabbard, grinning.

"I'm a hero." Brittney protested. "I help Quinn's mom all the time."

"That may make you nice, but it doesn't make you a hero." He said. He paused and looked at them both again. "Though, I do see the makings of greatness in you both. Don't let that light die kids; it may be the only thing to keep you alive."

Sam laughed.

"What's going to threaten our lives here?" He and Brittney both chuckled. "Nothing ever happens in Ostvale."

As if the universe were out to spite him, any further conversation was put to a standstill as a man rushed inside of their shop in a blind panic.

"It's the King's soldiers! They're approaching!"

* * *

Quinn looked up from her book at the sound of horses' hooves and turning wheels on the cobblestones. She cocked her head to the side and carefully tabbed the page that she was on before setting it off to the side.

"Mom?" She yelled, exiting her room.

This was particularly strange; visitors weren't unheard of, but most travelled by foot. Nobody rich enough to afford a carriage had ever visited Ostvale. Nothing of interest happened there, it was a pleasant, quiet little village where people tended to go when they became too old to work; the exact opposite of a tourist trap.

She opened the door and looked out into the rain, but it was so thick that she could see little more than a growing crowd around a blurry dark shape. Her mother was nowhere in sight, and though she wasn't fond of exposing her hair to such harsh weather conditions, she was curious.

Hadn't curiosity killed the cat though? She wondered to herself, pausing under the awning over their store. She shook her head, scoffing at her silliness before stepping out and jogging towards the crowd of onlookers.

* * *

Sam and Brittney peered out through the rain. The Blacksmith had warned both of them to stay put and had run out after the terrified man, but when asked, refused to give them an explanation for his odd behaviour.

"The King's soldiers..." Sam raised an eyebrow. "What would they be doing here?"

"I don't know..." Brittney said; no witty remark, no sarcastic quip. She was just as confused, alarmed and concerned as her best friend.

"Like, I actually can't think of any reason for them to be here."

"Maybe they're recruiting people to go be heroes or something!" Brittney said naively.

"But why would they come to Ostvale for heroes? Everybody here is either working class, or over eighty..."

"Well, Bruce is pretty heroic..."

"That's true!" Sam said. "Maybe they came for Bruce! That would explain why he's acting like he knows something."

Brittney grinned at him, both of them thrilled with their new revelation.

"Let's go see!" Brittney said.

"Okay." Sam grinned, nodding excitedly.

Without another word the two sprinted out into the rain.

* * *

When Quinn arrived on the scene, the crowd of onlookers was so thick that she could barely see the road. Thankfully, her small stature actually worked to her advantage for once, and when repeated 'excuse me's failed to work, she began to weave her way through the throng of alarmed citizens.

As she crept, she caught only snippets of conversation here and there.

"-children from all over...-"

"-just terrible, I kept mine at home-"

"-took my brother when I lived in Violetedge-"

Soon, Quinn had managed to reach the front of the crowd of people, all looking towards the city gates with immense trepidation. The nervousness in the crowd was almost palpable, and Quinn couldn't for the life of her understand why.

This was the _King _they were talking about. He had to be King for a reason; if he was having their town visited it could only be for good reason! Especially if he'd sent his soldiers in such awful weather!

"Open the gates!" Somebody hollered, and slowly the flimsy wooden gates of their charming retirement village swung inwards to reveal a large black carriage being hauled by four equally dark horses.

* * *

"I can't see anything." Brittney complained, standing on her toes. "Can you?"

"A little bit..." Sam mumbled. "They just opened the gates, but I can't see the soldiers."

Brittney scowled.

"Do you see Bruce?" She asked.

"Nope..." Sam frowned. "Come on; let's try to skirt the edge of the crowd."

"They follow you around like you're the Pied Piper when you're singing, but the minute you stop they get right in the way again...Can't you whip out a ballad or something?" Brittney growled.

"I don't think it works like that." Sam laughed. "Besides, people don't just burst randomly into song. That would be weird."

* * *

Quinn gasped as the horses approached. They were magnificent creatures, but...there was something about the way their nostrils flared and their pupils dilated that made her take a few steps back.

One of the horses clomped through a large puddle before rolling to a stop... right in front of her. She looked around nervously and took another step back.

Slowly the door to the carriage was pushed open.

* * *

"There we go!" Sam grinned.

They'd managed to skirt around the others and then inserted themselves into the middle of the crowd. With fewer heads to peer around they had a clearer view this time around. They both watched eagerly as the door opened up.

Slowly, with the relaxed coldness that could only be obtained through a lifetime of rich living, three soldiers emerged.

Though vastly different in appearance, all three had the same chiseled faces and sharp, piercing eyes, noses curled up in disgust at the people around them.

Sam shivered as a cold that had nothing to do with the rain overcame him. It didn't take a genius to realize that these people weren't here to reward or recruit anybody.

"Pitiful villagers!" The bleach-blonde haired man yelled. "Cease your babble!"

"Who are you?" Somebody yelled.

"Who I am is of no importance to _you_." He sneered and stepped forwards. His companions stepped forwards with him.

"What we are doing here is an entirely different matter." The blonde woman smiled with a chilling mixture of malice and mischief.

They looked at one another, as if sharing a sinister secret that the villagers weren't worthy of understanding.

"Well what are you doing here than?" Another man asked.

The red haired soldier stepped forwards, hand on his sword.

"You would do well to respect those _better _than you." He snarled, stepping towards the person who had spoken.

Sam and Brittney exchanged an alarmed look. This was not the way they'd expected representatives of the King to act...

"Calm yourself Riker, do you really want the blood of the working class on your sword?" The blonde man asked coldly.

"Maybe not." Riker snarled, glaring at the terrified man. "But swords can be cleaned." His nostrils flared and the man flinched backwards. Riker laughed and stepped back near where the blonde woman was pouting animatedly.

"Come on Coal, I wanted to see bloodshed!" She whined.

"Oh you will Savannah." He smiled knowingly. "You do remember our purpose here, right?"

"Oh yeah!" She laughed excitedly, practically vibrating with childish joy. "Well hurry up than! If we go quickly, we can make it to the den by nightfall!"

"Bloodshed...?" Brittney whispered to Sam. He shrugged, worry in his eyes. What was happening?

"Congratulations citizens of Ostvale!" Coal grinned maliciously. "You have the great honour of donating the next peace offering to the King!"

"Peace offering...?" Sam whispered.

"As I'm sure you know, the only reason you get to live, is because the King allows it. I mean, look at this place, you have very little trade, or income. For all intensive purposes, you are completely expendable..." He drawled. "However, your gracious King allows you to pollute this area with your presence, and all he demands in return, is a peace offering. A token, if you will, to show him that you understand who is truly in charge around here."

"I don't like where this is going..." Sam whispered. The crowd was getting antsy.

"What kind of token?" Quinn, in another part of the crowd, wondered aloud. The blonde woman grinned crazily and approached her, giggling insanely.

"Ooh, this one doesn't know what you're talking about Coal!" Savannah howled with laughter and Coal and Riker joined her. "Perhaps you should...explain."

"Well young one." Coal said. "Each fortnight, the King sends his three greatest soldiers around to a random town to collect an offering. This offering is then destroyed in a display of the King's power; we feed it to the dragons." He smiled.

Quinn swallowed deeply and tried to back away from the blonde woman who was still right in her face. An arm wrapped around her shoulder and Riker pulled her into the clearing, several people gasped and jostled forwards.

"What kind of offering?" Quinn whispered, fear evident in her voice.

"A person...a little person, sort of like you." Riker hissed in her ear.

"Wh-what?"

Coal stepped forwards and began to prod her, the other citizens of Ostvale watched in fear and, in several worrisome cases, resignation. Some looked away, as if they didn't want to witness what was to happen next.

"Yes...you'll do nicely." Coal said. "Thank you citizens, we've found our newest offering. We'll be taking this girl to slaughter now, and it would do you well to remember who is truly in charge, or these streets will flood with the blood of its people."

Sam and Brittney turned to each other, eyes wide and mouths dry.

"They're going to kill Quinn!"


	2. Chapter 2

The Blacksmith's Apprentice Chapter 2-Fugitives

_**I do really like this story, so hopefully you guys will pick it up. I added this chapter to show that there really will be other characters, hahah, two more are introduced in this section, but I can't promise they'll stay long. That's another thing about this story, there will be a lot of entering and exiting of this party for a while, but you'll see it cement as it draws to a close. Anyways! Yes, here you are, Chapter 2 and I still don't own Glee!**_

**The Three Musketeers**

Quinn ducked out from under Coal's arm and sprinted back towards the crowd. Riker stepped up on one side and clothes-lined her, knocking her to the ground on her back. She gasped as he straddled her and slapped her face.

"Don't bother trying to run, you won't get away." Coal said simply, staring down at her.

She stared up at him with tear-streaked cheeks.

"Quinn!" A woman screamed from the back of the crowd. Her mother began to jostle through the other citizens, pushing through them until she had reached the clearing. She was just about to charge forwards when Riker stood up and pointed his sword at her.

"Anybody who interferes will be murdered for crimes against the king." He snarled. Quinn's mom blanched.

"But she's my baby...take me instead!"

"Sorry old woman, you've lived your life, your death will not send as clear a message." Coal said smoothly. Savannah approached Quinn and knelt down beside her.

"Besides, the younger they are the more fun it is to watch!" She cooed.

Riker laughed and shoved Quinn's mom backwards where some other citizens caught her and held her back. Quinn flipped over and tried to crawl away but Savannah grabbed her legs and began to drag her through the muddy ground towards the carriage. Riker and Coal both grinned and turned to follow her.

"No!"

Sam broke through the ranks of people and kicked Riker in the side, pushing him to the ground. As Coal turned, Sam drove his shoulder into his gut and shoved him to the ground as well. Savannah turned with a look of rage and lunged at him.

"Run Quinn!" Sam yelled, jumping to the side and then shoulder checking her to the ground.

"Duck kid!" Bruce yelled from somewhere in the ground. Instinctively, he did, and Riker's sword swept over his head. He turned and kicked him in the gut before grabbing Quinn's hand and pulling her past the horses and down a back alley.

"Get back here!" Coal yelled furiously. Shockingly enough, they didn't listen.

Instead, Quinn and Sam ran as fast as they could, sprinting through the puddles, muscles burning. She could hear the heavy footfalls of the soldiers chasing after them, gaining ground.

"They're getting closer!" Quinn yelled.

"Keep running!" Sam yelled.

"In here!" Somebody grabbed their arms and pulled them into the back doorway of the produce shop. Quinn looked up to find Brittney standing there nervously. "Punch me!" She told her.

"What?"

"Hurry!" She yelled. Quinn hesitated. "Just do it!" She yelled, shoving her backwards. Instinctively, Quinn hauled off and decked him in the face. Brittney hit the ground, and then nodded and ran out the door into the alley.

"Brittney!" Quinn hissed.

"Stay there!" She said and lay down on the ground. Quinn darted towards her out of worry, but Sam pulled her back, closed the door and pressed his back against it, covering her mouth with his hand and closing his eyes.

Brittney had barely heard the door close before the three soldiers were upon her. She made a big show of struggling to her feet as they approached.

"Hey kid! You see two teens run past here?"

"No." She said. "But I felt them when the girl punched me in the face. I know her from school, she was always jealous cause I was so much prettier than her and everybody else...In the world." She rubbed her jaw painfully. Riker approached her, eyes narrowed, examining the wound.

Slowly he circled Brittney, like a predator moving in for the kill.

"You know lying to the King's soldiers will get you killed, right?" He hissed, eyeing the door behind her.

Sam and Quinn tensed up, terrified.

Brittney stepped in the way, meeting Riker's eyes.

"Look, it's not my fault some girls can't handle how pretty I am, she's just a bitch. I'd love to have her out of here." She remarked. "Now she's dating that guy, and I tried to have sex with him once, but he didn't want me to, so I assumed he was gay or in love with animals. But now he clearly just rejected me...so you should kill him too."

Coal pushed Riker out of the way and bent down to examine the point of impact.

"She's telling the truth, that is a nasty hit. You're right, it will bruise."

"I know." Brittney scowled. "They ran that way; take him too for me." She pouted and sat down against the door, leaning her head against it.

"Oh we will..." Riker snarled.

"What's in there?" Savannah asked, pointing past him.

"Sex dungeon, you're losing daylight, the longer you wait here, the better their hiding place will be. It's like that time I hid in a hay bale and nobody found me until the cow ate my shorts..." Brittney scowled.

"She's right, come on!" Coal turned and jogged off further down the alleyway. Riker glared at him and followed, and Savannah lingered a little longer, staring at the door before leaving after the rest of her group.

Brittney stared after them for a while before doubling over with a huge sigh of terrified relief. Sam opened the door and peeked out as Brittney stumbled in.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes." She said. "I have slept with way too many people."

"I thought you were dead for sure! Why would you do that?" Quinn asked, slapping her.

"They would've caught you both if I didn't do something.." She said, rubbing his face. "I thought that was what friends did? Nice punch though..."

"Thanks?"

"You saved our lives." Sam smiled.

"Yeah, I'm awesome, you're welcome." She said seriously. "Now go hide somewhere, because they'll probably come back to check out the sex dungeon at some point..."

"You're right." Sam said. "Come on, let's get to the inn."

Quinn and Brittney nodded.

An hour later they all sat in Sam's room, soaking wet and shaking with cold and fear.

They had stuck to the alleyways as best they could on the way back, and Brittney had stolen two large cloaks for Quinn and Sam to hide beneath when they were walking in the open.

Aside from a close call with Savannah near the fountain, they'd managed to make it back to Sam's home by nightfall.

"Your mom wasn't in the crowd today..." Brittney noted, leaning against the door.

"I know..." He said worriedly.

"Somebody has to tell her what's going on, it's too dangerous for her not to know." Quinn said sternly, surprised that neither friend had done so yet.

"I know that too." Sam looked up at Brittney. "Will you do it?"

Brittney nodded and opened the door, pausing momentarily to look over at Quinn.

"I'm glad you're not dead or anything." She said and Quinn smiled tightly, nodding.

"Me too." She said.

Sam sighed and leaned against the wall near his bed, looking down at the floor, resting his head on his knees.

"They'll come for you now..." Quinn said, looking out the window from where she sat at the foot of Sam's bed.

"I know." He said, looking up. "But you're my best friend; I couldn't let anything happen to you."

"Sam..." She frowned, blinking back tears.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared..." She whispered.

"Me too..." He said.

"What's going to happen now?" She asked.

"I don't know." He said honestly. They both looked up as the door clicked open again.

"What don't you know?" Brittney asked, entering.

"What's going to happen now." Sam said. Brittney frowned and sat down against the door.

"Oh..." She frowned. "Well, we survive. Duh." She said.

"You make it sound so easy." Quinn laughed.

"Well...hopefully it won't be that bad." Brittney frowned. "You guys are like, my best friends; I don't want you to die..."

"I don't want you to die either." Sam said dejectedly.

"Guys, I'm so scared..." Quinn repeated.

"You're safe now, right? Focus on that." Sam said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. He hugged her tightly and beckoned Brittney over to join their group hug.

"You're right." Quinn nodded as they broke apart. "I'll be fine, just as long as I have you guys." She smiled tenderly. "At least we're safe no-" She broke off into a scream as a flaming bottle of rum shattered the window.

It hit the floor and the rickety wooden inn was immediately overcome with flames. Brittney lunged for somebody, anybody, but a pile of piping tumbled to the ground and landed in front of her. She cried out as they tripped her up, twisting her ankle.

Through the smoke Quinn yelled for her, but she was trapped in the corner of the bed, flames greedily licking up the bed dressings. She braced herself and leapt off of the bed, landing in the doorframe. She froze as movement caught the corner of her eye and she turned to find Riker standing there, looking thrilled.

In the smoke, he didn't see Brittney as he forced Quinn back into the fiery room.

Sam leapt for her, but a wooden beam came crashing through the ceiling and separated them.

"Quinn!" He yelled. Riker turned to glare at him, shoving Quinn against the wall beside the door leading onto Sam's balcony.

"You thought you could escape us didn't you? Well now we get two sacrifices, so I just wanted to say thanks." He snarled. He drew his sword and pointed it at her. "It means I get to kill one, and keep the other." He said.

Quinn screamed and ducked as he drilled his sword towards her. It passed over her head and through the wall. She tried to lunge away but he grabbed her leg and pulled her to the ground, cutting her jaw on the floor.

She screamed again and turned as Riker pulled his sword out of the wall and advanced on her again.

"Hey!" A booming voice sounded, and Riker turned in surprise as Bruce the Blacksmith stepped into the room through the balcony, swinging his sword magnificently. With a well placed kick, Riker was sent sprawling across the room. "Kids, get out of here!" He said.

Riker leapt at him, but Bruce countered the blow. Bruce lunged, but Riker dodged it and brought the hilt down on his back. Bruce grunted as he hit the ground. He looked up and barely managed to roll out of the way of Riker's plunging sword.

Sam launched himself at the red-haired man, shoving him to the ground, and they all watched as another flaming ceiling beam came down on top of him.

"Run! Now's our chance!" Bruce yelled as the flames licked at Riker's skin. He grabbed Brittney and lifted her into his arms, before taking off into the hallway, Sam and Quinn hot on his heels.

As they passed through the doorway, Brittney's eyes locked with Riker's and she saw the evil man's face twist in fury before he was out of sight.

They ignored the panicked cries of other guests at the inn and instead sprinted down the stairs. Sam paused as they all sharply turned towards the door to the back alley. His mother was locked in combat with Savannah nearby, and off to the side, he could see some of the other guests teaming up against Coal.

"Sam!" Quinn yelled.

She ran back for him and grabbed his arms, just as Savannah and Coal caught sight of them.

"Where is Riker?" Coal growled, stabbing one of the men fighting him.

"Run!" Sam's mother yelled, not taking her eyes off Savannah. The evil woman tried to run past her, but she whipped around and drilled a frying pan into her face, knocking her to the ground. "You need to get out of Ostvale! Hurry!"

Sam swallowed deeply, and blinked back tears brought on by the smoke. He nodded and turned, allowing Quinn to pull him towards the back door where Brittney and Bruce had disappeared. Part of the ceiling fell through just in front of them and Quinn screamed again, but before they knew it, they'd escaped into the cool night air.

"Come on!" Bruce yelled from farther ahead. "We don't have much time; those people won't keep them forever!"

Quinn and Sam ran after him, feet pounding against the pavement. Sam looked over his shoulder to find the flames of the inn lighting up the night sky.

He hoped that his mother would be okay. If not...well it would've been all his fault.

"She'll be fine." Quinn panted, practically reading his mind. "She's strong!"

"The gates!" Bruce yelled, cutting to the left and running up another alley onto the main street. They passed by the Blacksmith shop and he looked at it with barely concealed worry, but he didn't slow. "Get to the city limits!"

They passed by the King's carriage and ran directly into the gate.

"It's locked!" Quinn yelled in a panic.

Bruce set Brittney down and paused, pacing back and forth, grabbing and rattling it. A chain lock rattled half-way up. They'd locked them all in the city.

"We have to climb it!" Sam realized suddenly. "It's the only way out of this place!"

"Yes!" Quinn nodded.

"Alright, hurry!"

"Umm..."

They all paused and looked at Brittney. She sighed and looked down at her wounded leg.

"I can't."

They fell silent for a moment. That moment was all the time it took for Brittney to muster up her courage. Looking more aware of herself and the situation then she might ever have before.

"Then we'll find some other way!" Sam started.

"No, you'll climb it!" Brittney protested. "They don't know I'm your friend, I'll be fine, you guys have to go." She averted her eyes. She knew that Riker had seen her...but they needed to get out of the city, and she wouldn't hold them back.

"But Brittney...we might never see you again!" Quinn frowned.

"That sucks for you." She tried to joke. They didn't laugh. "I'd rather not see you, and know you're alive, than see you for fifteen more minutes while they hold off the soldiers, and then have all of us be killed."

"She has a point." Bruce said. "Get to climbing!" He turned towards it and grabbed at the wooden bars separating them from the outside world. Using cross beams and lots of upper body strength, he soon made it to the top.

He looked back down, scowling when he found that neither Quinn, nor Sam had followed him.

"Hurry up!"

"Brittney, are you sure this is what you want?" Sam asked. He sighed.

"Yeah, we were like the three musketeers back there, so you guys go keep being epic and I'll just be that third musketeer who nobody knows about when they put us all in history books."

"Brittney...we're serious." Quinn said and Brittney sighed.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Wicked: For Good-**

_"I'm limited." _She sang, she looked down at her injured ankle, then up at the gate. "Just look at me... _I'm limited...And just look at you; you can do all I couldn't do! I know..."_

She smiled at her friends, catching their eyes.

_"So now it's up to you, for all of us..." _She nodded. _"Now it's up to you."_

_ "I've heard it said..." _Quinn sang, smiling and stepping forwards. _"That people come into our lives, for a reason...Bringing something we must learn."_

She hugged her friend and then pulled back, holding her hands and smiling.

_"And we are led, to those, who help us most to grow...if we let them! And we help them in return!" _She sang and squeezed her hands. _"Well I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today, because I knew you!" _

Brittney smiled fondly at her as she went on, looking up into the night sky.

_"Like a comet pulled from orbit, as it passes a sun!" _Quinn sang. _"Like a stream that meets a boulder, half-way through the wood..." _She squeezed his hands one final time and then moved towards the gate. _"Who can say, if I've been changed for the better...but...because I knew you, I have been changed, for good." _She smiled fondly at him before turning and scaling the structure.

Brittney turned to face her best friend as Sam approached her, wrapping her up in a bear-hug. He stepped back and clasped his hands behind his back.

_"It well may be that we will never meet again, in this lifetime...so let me say before we part." _He looked away down the street and Brittney thought she saw him blink back tears. _"So much of me...is made of what I learned from you, you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart!" _

Quinn paused at the top of the gate and looked down at them, touched.

_ "And now whatever way our stories end." _Sam sang, looking back at his friend. _"I know you have rewritten mine, by being my friend." _He smiled at her and Brittney walked him to the fence. _"Like a ship blown from its mooring, by a wind off the sea, like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood." _

He paused and swallowed deeply.

_"Who can say if I've been changed for the better...But..." _He looked back at Brittney. _"Because I knew you." _

_ "Because I knew you." _Quinn sang, smiling teary-eyed at Brittney as she dropped to the ground on the other side. As he placed his hands on the gate, Sam joined her._"I have been changed for good." _

_ "And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness..." _Brittney sang as Sam began to climb beside. _"For the things I've done you blame me for..." _

Quinn reached through the gate and grabbed her hand in hers.

_"But then I guess we know there's blame to share..." _She sang. Sam dropped to the ground beside her and turned, grabbing Brittney's other hand and nodding to her. He then turned and grabbed Quinn's hand with his free hand, making a triangle. He joined her in song. _"And none of it seems to matter anymore!" _They split into harmony, Sam belting out the higher part and Quinn shaking her head, smiling sadly at Brittney.

They stayed silent for a moment, staring at one another and smiling through their tears. Quinn opened her mouth and sang the rest of the song with such strength and promise in her tone, that none of them could help but cry tears of determination. Sam joined her, overlapping with the higher harmony.

_ "Like a comet pulled from orbit!" _She belted.

_ "Like a ship blown from its mooring!" _He harmonized triumphantly.

_ "As it passes the sun."_

_ "By a wind off the sea."_

_ "Like a stream that meets a boulder, halfway through,"_

_ "Like a seed dropped by a bird, in," _They fell into perfect unison. _"the wood!"_

They fell silent once again and Brittney squeezed their hands once before letting go.

_"Who can say!" _Sam and Quinn belted, voices blending in perfect harmony. _"If I've been changed for the better…I do believe I have been changed for the better…" _The power that had built up throughout the song faded to a fragile tenderness.

_ "And…because I knew you." _Quinn whimpered, smiling teary-eyed at her friend.

_ "Because I knew you." _Sam nodded, grinning, almost laughing in resignation.

_"Because I knew you…" _Brittney sang. They both nodded and finished the song with her. "_I have been changed…for good…" _They held the last note much longer than it was supposed to be held, all three trying to put off their goodbye, but as it faded, Brittney pulled away from them and turned, leaving them with one final smile.

Sam sighed as he and Quinn turned back to where Bruce was waiting patiently.

"And then there were two..." He mumbled.

Quinn frowned and took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"We'll be alright..." She said.

"How do you know?" He asked.

She blinked and looked up at the moon.

"I can feel it."

Sam nodded and looked back at the gates that were shrinking in the distance. He couldn't help but wonder...what was to become of their families? What would happen to Brittney? Mrs. Fabray? His adoptive mother? Brittney's father?

Sam was afraid, and not just for himself. He was a fugitive. He hadn't been one that morning. He'd simply fallen into a lifestyle where he would be constantly running for his life, where his only goal, his only motivation, was survival.

However, Sam also worried for Quinn, and for Brittney, and their families, and even Bruce! These people were in danger, and the blame was up in the air. Was it his fault for intervening? Quinn's for speaking up? Their parents for not warning them of the king?

Whatever it was, Sam knew that if he had to make the same decision again, he would not hesitate to repeat his actions. As scared as he was now, he still had a friend by his side, and maybe with that, he could make it through.

* * *

**Your Father's Eyes**

Sam scowled as he trudged through the forest, batting branches out of his way, Bruce's canteen in his hand. He'd been asked to fetch water from a 'nearby' stream.

Apparently his boss' definition of _nearby_ was not quite the same as Sam's because he'd been walking for almost fifteen minutes already.

Just as he was about to give up and turn back he heard the trickling of water nearby. He sighed and turned, walking for another few minutes before stepping out onto the riverbank. The stream was more of a river, really, with a dock for small water vessels further up. With a scowl, Sam crossed to it.

He unclasped the leather canteen and knelt down on the wood, dipping his hand into the refreshingly cool water. He paused and grinned, it had been at least two days since he'd had a good wash and he was fairly certain he was starting to smell.

Without a second thought he had hopped into the river, fully clothed, and began to scrub at the particularly muddy patches on his clothing and skin.

He was almost finished when the sound of a snapping twig caught his attention.

He looked over at the riverbank and saw the rustling of branches nearby. Slowly, cautiously, he knelt down and backed underneath of the dock. Minutes later he heard several footsteps just overhead.

"You idiot, there's nobody here." Coal snapped.

"Uncle, I swear, I really thought I'd heard somebody." A female voice said.

"We're looking for three people; they would not have split up this early on." Coal said plainly. Sam clasped a hand over his own mouth, trying to cover up the sound of his breathing. "If we don't find them soon we'll have to enlist the help of the King's right hand man and woman, and you know they won't be happy about it."

"I'm not working with them! The last soldiers who worked with them were murdered for eating when hungry." The girl said worriedly.

"Well stop leading me on mindless goose-chases and you won't suffer the same fate! They are not people to be trifled with and they will not like being disturbed..."

"Yes Uncle Coal."

Sam didn't breath as their footsteps faded away into the night, and he didn't breath for several minutes after they were gone out of sheer paranoia. His heart was beating like a war drum, and his blood felt like ice in his veins.

He knew exactly how close he had just come to a certain death.

* * *

"Ready?" Bruce asked, staring his apprentice down, sword held high. Sam gulped and crouched nervously.

"Not really, no..." He said nervously.

"If you're backed in an alley with members of the Imperial Guard like Savannah or Riker on your tail, you won't really have much of a choice." The older man said.

Before Sam could respond, Bruce ran at him, moving with surprising swiftness for such a bulky fellow. He barely had time to raise the stick that was functioning as his own sword before Bruce had side-stepped and elbowed him into the ground.

"Come on kid! You've got to think faster than that!" Bruce said, whipping out a rag and dabbing at his sweaty forehead.

"It's hard to think at all when somebody's rushing you with a sword!" Sam moaned, laying back and shielding his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun.

"Well you'd better get used to it, you're a fugitive now, remember?" Bruce remarked.

"I'm a hungry fugitive..." Sam responded, squinting up at his boss. Bruce scoffed and shook his head.

"I somehow don't think that would've stopped Coal from killing you." He said. Sam scowled at him. "Alright, fine. You'll get more training later. You're off the hook too girly, for now, but don't think I'm going to go easy on you either." Bruce nodded at where Quinn was sitting off to the side of the small clearing, back pressed against a tree.

"Oh joy..." She said dryly. "I can't wait."

"Hey, it's not my fault you were chosen to die, I'm just trying to keep you alive." Bruce said indignantly.

"It's not _my _fault I got chosen either!" Quinn responded with just as much incredulity.

"Well maybe if you hadn't opened your mouth..."

"Well maybe if the adults in town had the common sense to warn their children that they were possible dragon bait!"

"Guys that is not the issue right now!" Sam said seriously, stepping in between them. "The issue, is that I am really, really hungry!"

Bruce rolled his eyes but nodded and turned towards the brush around them. Quinn stood and followed him, Sam at her heels.

"Where are we anyways?" She asked.

They'd been walking for almost two days straight, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the river as possible.

When Sam had burst back into their cave that night, they'd been delivered a harsh reality check. They could be ambushed at any minute, and with Bruce as the only one with any combat training, that did not put them in a promising position. They'd packed up their few belongings right away, cleared up any evidence that they'd been there, and run off into the night.

Since then Bruce had been on a training kick. The prospect that neither of them knew how to fight scared him, especially after Sam's close call. He'd been working them to the bone on endurance, promising that once he found them swords, they could work on that too, but waiting for a weapon had proved too taxing for Bruce, and he'd decided to start training them with whatever he could find instead.

"We're near a large area called Redrock. It covers a lot of the South-Western part of the Kingdom. It starts before the Ostvale River and continues all the way to Fayhaven." Bruce explained. "The going gets really rough once we get out of the forest though, then we get to the mountainous terrain and it's a killer."

"Is that where we're going than? Fayhaven?" Sam asked.

"No, that'll be one of the first places they check. We're going on a day to day basis right now; our only goal is to get away from Ostvale." He said.

"So we'll have to cross the river than right?" Quinn asked.

"Right...that's what worries me." Bruce frowned and paused, turning towards a large berry-ridden bush alongside of the path. "Here pick a few of these, they should hold you over."

Sam and Quinn nodded and got to work, but Sam was confused.

"Wait, why does it worry you that we'll have to cross the river?" He asked.

"There's only one bridge across; Falcon Bridge." Bruce said. "They'll have to be expecting us, but we can't stay here because these woods will be crawling with the Imperial Army soon enough." He worried.

"Why don't we just swim across than?" Sam asked.

"Because...I uh...I can't swim..." He mumbled embarrassedly.

Quinn stifled a giggle and stepped around the bush to get at the berries around the back. Her hand brushed a brilliant pink flower and she grinned, plucking it from the ground.

"What's this?" She asked. Sam looked at it with intrigue and crossed behind the bush as well, quickly discovering another lone flower. Bruce looked at them both with surprise.

"That's actually a very rare flower! It's called Cupid's Rose, I've never seen _one_, let alone two!" He eagerly rushed past the two, but was disappointed. There weren't any more of the Cupid's Rose.

"Do you want mine?" Sam asked uncertainly after witnessing his boss' distress. He held it out but Bruce laughed and shook his head.

"No, no, it's fine. There's just a legend about Cupid's Rose. Apparently, if you find a Rose, it means that you're destined to find true love."

"I wish..." Quinn sighed. She looked at the flower once more before tucking it behind her ear. Sam jokingly tucked his there as well, but it fell out, so he stuck it in the pocket of his shirt.

"Do you think it's true?" Sam asked.

"No." Bruce laughed. Sam frowned. "But it's a nice story, and they are very rare. You could probably sell them for quite a sum!"

Sam noted this and moved forwards as Bruce left the berry bush behind. Quinn paused, looking up at the flower in her peripheral vision. She touched it tenderly, stroking the petals before shaking her head and moving off after the rest of her group.

* * *

"This looks like a good place to set up camp." Bruce said as they reached the top of a large hill. The hill was barren except for a massive oak tree that stood at the center. "We should reach Falcon Bridge tomorrow; you should both get some sleep." He said.

They'd had a full day of failed combat training and only slightly better wilderness experience. On several occasions Sam had almost eaten poison berries, and Quinn had stumbled through a bush of poison ivy that the others had stepped over. She was wearing long pants, so the damage was minimal, but it didn't really give Bruce much hope in their survival skills.

Sam was just settling down to sleep when he noticed Quinn sitting against the tree, crying. He approached her cautiously.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head and pointed. Slowly he followed her gaze. There, in the distance, was Ostvale.

"It looks so calm from this far away..." She whispered. "Like nothing has changed."

"Yeah..." Sam agreed sitting down next to her.

It was true; Ostvale looked the same as it always had. From this distance, Sam couldn't even see his mother's burnt down inn. He hoped that she was okay; she'd risked everything to give him a chance at freedom.

"I miss my mom..." Quinn whispered.

Sam nodded and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

"I know...I miss my mom too...and Brittney..."

"I miss her too." She agreed. "Do you think she's okay?"

"I'm sure they're all perfectly fine." Sam swallowed sadly. Did he actually believe that? Not really...he wouldn't be at all surprised to find that they'd all been taken by the King, that Brittney's father had betrayed them all and given up his daughter, that...any number of things had happened.

As long as he didn't have a definite answer, however, he would choose to believe that they were all totally okay, because his hope allowed him that much.

He frowned and looked at his best friend.

She was all he had to remind him of the life he'd led, only a week before...He didn't regret saving her, and he never would. Yes, the life of a fugitive didn't really agree with him, but life without one of his best friends agreed with him even less. At least he had hope of, one day, seeing Brittney again...if he'd let Quinn go, he knew he would've lost her forever.

He looked to the side to find that Quinn had fallen asleep, tears still streaming down her face, blonde hair riddled with twigs and leaves. He frowned and blinked back tears of his own.

Slowly, so as not to disturb his friend, he withdrew and unfolded the crinkled up piece of paper in his pocket.

"Take care of my son... he'll be great someday." Sam whispered, tracing the curling letters with his index finger. "I don't know how great you think I am now...on the run from the law...a fugitive...hunted."

He laughed bitterly and slipped the note back into his pocket, making sure to fold it carefully. He stood up and stepped out of the shadow of the tree to stare up at the moon. He'd wished for a father that night, and now there was a good chance he didn't even have a mother.

He silently cursed the moon, letting his tears slide down his face. He wasn't ashamed of his feelings; he knew how unfair the world was now.

So he cried.

Sam sank to his knees and cried for everything he'd lost, and for everybody else who had lost something as well. Quinn and her family, Brittney and hers, Sam's own, and Bruce. What about those other adventurers who had held off Coal while they escaped? Did they have families? Had they survived long enough to make it back to them? They might've lost their lives for somebody who had never done more than deliver them breakfast...

When he was finished crying he rose up off of the dewy grass and turned back to the tree. With a start he realized that Bruce had yet to go to sleep. He was sitting on the hill, looking back towards town.

"I have a wife, you know..." Bruce said, not taking his eyes off of Ostvale. "And two kids; a boy and a girl."

Sam felt his heart break for this man. In all of his time working for him, he'd never known anything about his family; he'd never thought to ask...

"I'm sorry..." Sam said, approaching and sitting down next to him.

"Don't be."

"Why did you help us?" Sam asked.

"You would've died otherwise." He said.

"So? We still might, we weren't your problem."

Bruce sighed and finally took his eyes off of the town.

"Kid, do you know why I offered _you _the job? Not Brittney, not Quinn, not any of the other kids in town; you." He asked. Sam paused, he'd never considered it.

"I...no, I don't...why?"

"I saw you run through that square every day, always so happy. Even when you weren't in the best mood, you still tried to help everybody else, to be nice to them. You've got a good heart, Sam, and _that's_ why I offered you that job."

Sam paused, looking back at the town.

"So that's why you helped us? Because I have a good heart?"

"Not just good Sam, the best. I couldn't let a heart as pure as yours be touched by darkness." He sighed. "I owed it to your father."

Sam froze.

Bruce looked at him with tired eyes and Sam stared right back, mouth agape.

"You've got his eyes, you know?" He said.

Shell-shocked, Sam watched the Blacksmith roll over and go to sleep. Hard as Sam tried, he refused to wake up again that night. Sam sat there for hours, staring at the sleeping man. After all these years...somebody knew his father. This man held the answers to so many of the questions that Sam wanted to have answered.

He pulled out the crumpled up note one last time, and stared at it until sleep claimed him.

* * *

**A Touch of Magic**

_Sam was happy in his dream. He was smiling and laughing and looking around a smoky, joy filled room. Eventually his eyes caught Quinn's._

_ Her face was flushed with excitement, not fear, and in her hand was a mug which she kept happily taking sips from. _

_ "I think this is it Sam, our new home, we won't have to run anymore!" She said. "We're safe here!"_

_ "I think you're right!" He laughed. "This is great!" He punched a fist in the air. _

_ Quinn laughed, nodding, and turned away from him. She stumbled slightly and the mug from which she'd been drinking fell. _

_ Sam watched it fall, as if in slow motion. It hit the ground, shattering, just as a set of heavy wooden doors burst inwards and somebody, somewhere, let out a terrified scream._

_ He was running through another forest, branches whipping at his face, Quinn's hand in his. He tripped over a tree root and turned as somebody loomed over them. _

_ He saw something silver blur through the sky._

_ The petals of his Cupid's Rose began to fly away. _

_ A girl with long brown hair, just the blurry image of a figure, turned to face him._

_ Chickens._

_ Wolves._

_ A scar-faced man with a sword in hand._

_ The mouth of a dragon._

"Sam!"

He sat bolt upright, almost knocking Quinn over in his haste. She let out a sigh of relief and crouched next to him, but there was fear in her eyes. "Sam, we're being followed, we've got to get out of here _now_!"

Sam was on his feet immediately, running around helping to collect the few things that Bruce had thought to bring with them.

"What?" He asked, though he didn't doubt her. "How do you know?"

"Bruce went out to get some firewood and heard somebody stumbling about through the forest."

"That could be anybody." Sam reasoned.

"They said your name." She said.

He froze and looked up at her, the firelight catching his face, emphasising the sudden fear.

"We have to go." Bruce yelled, dumping his thermos of water onto the flames. "They'll be here any minute!" He hissed.

As soon as the fire was out, they were gone, sprinting down the hill as quickly as they could, Bruce muttering about how stupid it had been to set up camp in such an open location.

"Wait!" Sam yelled. They all skidded to a halt and he ran back up the hill, ignoring the protests of his campmates. He reached the tree and looked around, frantic and short of breath.

"Come on!" Bruce grabbed Quinn's arm and pulled her towards the trees.

* * *

"We have to wait for him!" Quinn protested.

"My priority is to keep as many of you alive as possible; I'm not throwing you both to the wolves." He snapped. Before she could protest further, he tossed her over his shoulder and ran off into the woods. "He'll know where to go, he's smart."

* * *

Sam spotted it, nestled against an uprooted section of the tree, his Cupid's Rose. He didn't know why, but something told him that it wasn't something to lose. He grabbed it and stood up.

As he turned he caught sight of a figure darting out of the tree line on the other side of the hill.

Sam swore and sprinted back down the slope. He lost his breath when he realized that Bruce and Quinn weren't where he left them. They'd gone ahead.

He heard yelling behind him and his blood chilled. He sprinted into the forest, and the branches whipping against his face almost froze him in place again. His dream came back to him in a whirlwind so fast that his head spun and he tumbled to the forest floor.

He hit the ground hard and pushed himself right back to his feet, half-expecting to be tackled yet again.

He could only pray that the dream had not been some sort of premonition, because the image of the dragon attacking his face was imprinted in his mind, and it was not something he expected to live through.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Quinn's called out, crying out as another branch tore at her hair.

"Falcon Bridge, it's our only option."

"I thought you said they'd be guarding it!" She protested.

"They may be."

"But they're following us!" Quinn realized. "They can't be waiting to ambush us at the bridge, if they're chasing us from behind!"

"They can if they've split up, and we already know that they have." Bruce said.

Quinn swallowed deeply, nervously, and she looked back into the forest, hoping beyond hope that she hadn't just lost her best friend.

* * *

_The river! _Sam realized as he slowed to a jog. He could hear it trickling along off to his right. As quickly as he dared, he picked through the foliage until he found himself back at the bank of the Ostvale River.

Quinn and Bruce had to be trying to get out of the Ostvale area. The region was surrounded by the river, and Bruce couldn't swim, so they _had _to be moving towards Falcon Bridge, which meant that if he just followed the river, he would eventually meet back up with them.

The problem was, he had no idea which way the bridge was, and if he went in the wrong direction, than he'd be further from them than ever.

He started off one way and then paused, balling his hands into his fists, pivoting back the other way. He walked for a few minutes before stopping and turning back the other way with a frustrated growl.

He didn't have time for this! With each moment of indecision he was losing the ground he'd built up between him and his pursuers.

_"Upstream!" _

Sam froze. He looked around nervously, crouching low to try and hide from the unseen communicator.

"Hello?" He whispered.

There was no answer.

This however, didn't surprise Sam particularly, because the voice had come from within his head.

Ostvale was a mediocre town where nothing special happened. The citizens were all hard-working, hands on people. Sam had heard rumors of magic, in stories that adventurers would tell, but he'd always dismissed it as something that he'd never experience.

Now there were three options; there was magic in the air, there were spirits in the wood, or he was going insane. None of these made him particularly comfortable.

He looked at the river, rushing past him with a rapid ferocity; rushing past him...to the east.

He looked to the left; upstream. There was a good chance that the decision he made next would decide his future, whether he walked back into the arms of his friends, or the blades of his enemies. It all depended on whether or not he followed the voice in his head.

Upstream it was.

* * *

Bruce dropped Quinn to the ground as they burst from the tree line. She looked up to find a wide bridge made of cobblestone and wood frame.

They both froze.

They froze, because standing in the center of the bridge, illuminated by the moon, was a figure.

Slowly, they approached.

* * *

Sam couldn't help but break out into a grin as the bridge came into view. He ran forwards with new vigor, he'd made it! They were finally going to make it out of Ostvale!

His smile fell away as he spotted Quinn, Bruce...and the person advancing upon them.

His friends stared at the person, so close to freedom, but still so far. Sam gritted his teeth; they would have to fight their way out. He had the element of surprise, and he was going to use it to his full advantage.

He crept slowly into the underbrush, approaching the group as swiftly as he could, and when he felt he was close enough he darted out from the trees and tackled the other person to the ground.

"Ooh my butt!"

Sam paused, fists raised to punch the boy beneath him in the face.

"Excuse me?" Sam paused.

"You like, broke my butt!" The boy said, contorting his face into an accusatory gaze. "I use that."

"I...I was trying to protect my friends..." Sam stammered.

"Well you didn't have to hurt my butt... It's not like I was gonna use it as a weapon." He said. "Wait, can you do that?" He beamed with childish excitement.

"You don't work for the King?" Quinn asked, approaching them.

"No I do not work for the King, do you know why I don't? Because the King, is a fucking _asshole!"_ He nodded affirmatively. "Now c'mon man, get off of me."

Sam paused.

"Uh...please?"

Sam clambered to his feet, wiping his hands on his pants and looking down at the larger boy who clambered to his feet immediately, brushing himself off and mumbling something about peasants. He was wearing very loose trousers, sandals, and a yellow jacket made of wool.

"Who are you?" Quinn asked.

"I am Finn Hudon." He said. "I was waiting here for you, for like, a really long time, and I got really hungry, but I just kept on waiting, and then you broke my butt...so you're welcome."

"Wait, you were waiting for us?" Sam asked, backing up to stand next to Quinn. Finn nodded.

"Yeah man."

"Why?" Quinn asked. "How did you know we were coming?"

"Because I'm magical." Finn said, waving his fingers around as if that would prove to them the extent of his magical abilities.

It didn't.

"How did you really know?" Bruce asked.

"Dude I'm totally serious, I'm magical."

They looked doubtful.

"I am!" He insisted. "My friend wanted a word with you."

"Your friend?" Sam asked, looking around. There was nobody else nearby.

"Yeah. Just so you know I'd totally have more friends if they didn't exist in my head too..." He said seriously. He reached out and grabbed Quinn and Sam by the hands. "Now you should come with me...cause...just, cause I said so."

Sam opened his mouth to respond, but stopped short as blades of golden grass tickled his hands and brilliant sunlight shone down upon his face. He turned in a slow, stunned circle, taking in his new surroundings.

"Where are we?" Quinn whispered beside him. He turned to face her, noticing that he wasn't alone for the first time. Finn stood between them, looking quite pleased with himself.

"You're in my domain, the Golden Meadow." A new voice said smoothly. They turned to find a beautiful woman with long brown hair that fell in waves past her shoulders. She was wearing a simple yellow dress that fell to her knees and was belted with honey-coloured branches. She wore a necklace of chestnuts, and wore no shoes.

"Who are you?" Sam asked.

"My name is Marley." She smiled. "I'm a sorceress, and this is my world."

"How did we get here?" He wondered.

"Magic, the same way you knew which way to follow the river." She smiled teasingly.

"That was you."

"Yes it was!" She smiled again.

"Umm...I don't mean to interrupt, but why are we here exactly?" Quinn laughed nervously. "And where's Bruce?"

"I have something I need to talk to you about." Marley said seriously. "It doesn't pertain to your guide, so I didn't bother bringing him. Plus Finn only has two hands." She said.

"He could've just grabbed my...never mind." Finn spoke up. They all paused and looked at him blankly. He gave them a look and they turned away again.

"Anyways..." Marley laughed awkwardly. "It's about your destination. You've got a huge journey ahead of you...but you're not the only ones."

"What?" Sam asked. "What do you mean?"

"The King has wronged many people in this Kindom, his rule is one of discrimination, bloodthirstiness, betrayal and abandonment. I'm a powerful sorceress, but even I can't see how your journey will end...I do know one thing, however..." She paused and looked at them both. "Your paths are intertwined with the paths of others. Head to Violetedge, the things you find there...the things you learn...I have a hunch they'll stay with you forever."

"Violetedge..." Sam said. This was a destination; it was something to go on at the very least, and that was more than they'd been lucky enough to come across thus far. If they went to Violetedge...they would be working towards something, instead of just running away.

"Yes, I'll help you in any way that I can, but I'm afraid I'm a little...held up, right now. I'm sure we'll meet again...goodbye!" She smiled and the Golden Meadow began to vanish, fading away to reveal the dark forest of Ostvale and the Falcon Bridge.

"Goodbye..." Quinn called out.

"Oh, and Sam?" Marley said as she faded into nonexistence.

"Yes?"

"Your father was the greatest swordsman I've ever known."

And then she was gone.

"There you are!" Bruce grabbed Sam and shook him out of his revere. "I thought I'd lost you both!" He rounded on Finn who tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

"No...we're fine." Quinn said hastily, resting a hand on Bruce's arm.

"My father..." Sam whispered. "Why does everybody know my father but me?" He growled in frustration.

Bruce looked away awkwardly.

"I shouldn't have said anything..." He said, turning away. "We should go."

He started to walk and Sam looked around in astonishment.

"Bruce, you have to tell me, I mean, it's _my _father!" Bruce didn't stop, so Sam stormed after him. "Hey!" He grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

Bruce grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

"Bruce!" Quinn cried.

"Hey!" Finn yelled.

"Listen kid, I like you, but I don't owe you anything so stop acting like I do. If anything, it's you who owes me. If I hadn't shown up when I did, you would be dead right now, all of you." He looked at Quinn.

"Well, _I _wouldn't be, because I have no idea what you're talking about." Finn said, shrugging awkwardly. "So..."

"Put him down..." Quinn said cautiously, trying to diffuse the tension of the situation and completely ignoring Finn.

"I've spent seventeen years trying to figure out what happened to my parents, if you know something, I deserve to know it too." Sam said, grabbing Bruce's hand in both of his and flailing his legs.

Bruce dropped him and he landed roughly in a crouch. He dusted himself off and glared at his boss.

"I don't want to talk about it." Bruce said.

"I don't really care." Sam smiled coldly.

"Listen you-"

"Guys!" Quinn stepped between them. "Shh..." She held a finger to her lips and they all paused. She tapped her ear and they listened.

Cracking branches.

Hushed voices.

The clanking of metal shin guards.

"Oh shit..." Finn turned to them. "Quick! Under the bridge!" He waved his arms wildly, rushing at them all and shoving them backwards.

Quinn almost screamed as she fell into the river, but caught herself. She flailed wildly, trying to smother her coughing. Her hand caught Sam's arm and he dragged her onto a thin natural ledge between the underside of the bridge and the river. The area was marshy, cold and wet, but it was hidden from view.

Bruce held a finger to his lips on the other side of Sam, all three of them looking like the terrified prey that they were. All squabbling from mere moments before forgotten as they heard voices approaching above.

"You there!" Coal boomed.

Finn turned from where he'd perched himself on the edge of the bridge.

"Who, me?" He acted confused.

"Who else would he be talking to?" A snide black haired girl beside him sneered. "Can't we just kill him and be on our way."

"Patience Regina."

"Uncle Coal, I told you my name is Ree." She pouted.

"Patience Regina." Finn said seriously.

"Now is not the time." Coal said, cutting off the girl's angry retort and approaching Finn, who hopped down from his perch. Ree scoffed and crossed her arms, flicking her bangs to the side. She stared at Finn with angry, prudish eyes.

"Why are you sitting on a bridge?" She asked judgementally.

"Why are you _not _sitting on a bridge?" He retorted. She narrowed her eyes at him but Coal held up an arm.

"You'll have to excuse my niece, she's fairly bloodthirsty. It runs in the family." He said coldly. Finn swallowed nervously. "Now, have you seen a small group of fugitives run past here?"

"What does a small group of fugitives look like?" He asked.

"One is a girl with long blonde hair by the name of Quinn, and the other, her friend, is a taller more muscular blonde boy. Sam. They might be among others, but we can't be sure."

"Do they run like this?" Finn flailed his arms wildly and sprinted off in the other direction, wailing. Coal and his niece stared after him until he'd disappeared.

"Is he gonna come back...?" She wondered aloud.

"I...I don't know..." Coal stammered.

Sam, Quinn and Bruce froze, clinging to one another as more footsteps approached.

"Find anything of interest?" Coal asked.

"The remnants of a fire, they have to be nearby." Riker's voice responded.

"The wood was still warm, they moved fast." Savannah added. "Real fast, we heard somebody fleeing the campsite as we approached."

Sam froze under the bridge. He'd been the last to leave camp. They'd heard him.

"We chased them, but when we got to the river we didn't know which way to check. If they went downstream, they had to have circled back; we scoured that area to death." Riker scowled.

"There was a mysterious man here, but he flailed off in that direction before we could really get any information out of him."

"Why didn't you kill him?" Riker asked.

"Well...to be honest, he was kind of weird...I wasn't sure how to respond to him! If I'd been thinking straight I would've killed him, but you know how these things are."

"No...I usually kill first, ask questions later. We've been working together long enough that you should know that." Riker snapped.

"That's why I like being paired with you." Savannah crooned.

"Uncle Coal, can we go now, I'm bored and tired and I didn't get to kill _anybody_. This was a _waste _of my time." Ree whined.

"Fine. They're clearly out of the Ostvale area..." Coal sighed.

"That means..." Riker started nervously.

"We have to call in the big guns." Savannah cackled. "The captains of the Imperial Army..."

"They won't be pleased..." Coal frowned.

"They never are." Riker scoffed.

"That's what makes them so fun to play with." Savannah smiled crazily.

"_Whatever! _Can we go?"

Quinn, Sam and Bruce crouched low to the ground as the soldiers trekked off overhead. They stayed that way until their ankles felt like they would break, and then they stayed that way a little longer.

"Boo!" Finn yelled, popping up on Quinn's other side.

She screamed and fell back into the river.

Five minutes later, a soaking wet Quinn stood glaring at a cackling Finn, as Sam and Bruce looked on, still with racing hearts from their close encounter.

"How did you get back here so stealthily?" Quinn panted. "Are you some kind of ninja?"

"I'm a wizard!" He posed beamed.

"Alright than!" Sam nodded sharply.

"Yeah, anyways, you guys...should...go to...Violetedge." Finn nodded, pursing his lips.

"Violetedge?" Bruce asked. "Why Violetedge? That wasn't a part of my plan."

"Well, your plan isn't a good plan!"

"Hey!" Bruce gawked.

"Are you the most powerful magical sorceress in the whole kingdom? No? Then shut the hell up about your plan, because, I said so. Done. There. Goodbye." He turned and ran off into the forest.

The other three looked after him with a mixture of awe, confusion and...well, mostly just confusion. Sam decided that Finn was the type of man who took a whole lot of getting used to.

"So...to Violetedge?" Quinn asked.

"I still don't understand what's so great about Violetedge...my plan was well thought out." Bruce pouted.

"Call it a hunch." She nodded delicately.

Bruce looked from Sam to Quinn and then back again.

"Fine..." He said.

As one, they turned and walked across Falcon Bridge, and out of Ostvale.

Sam looked back into the forest behind him, and couldn't help but wonder about life back in Ostvale, how his family was doing, how his other best friend was faring, how Quinn's family was managing.

They'd been thrown into this new life, and it scared him, but at the same time...he couldn't help but feel as though this journey was for more than just survival. Maybe Marley was right, maybe their path _was_ intertwined with the paths of others, other people with problems just like theirs, who needed somebody to help them out.

His mind touched on the pretty brown haired girl from his vision.

Maybe this path would lead to death. He'd accepted that. But maybe it would be alright if he could help somebody else along the way...and maybe...if he was really lucky...somebody would come along who could help him back...

_**So there you go! Chapter 2! Finn and Marley both exist in this world, but it looks like they'll both be getting left behind as Sam and Quinn keep on keepin' on! Is Sam's dream a premonition, and what exactly waits for them in Violetedge? In the next chapter, some big characters are bound to be introduced, including a certain soulful diva who has been lacking from the show of late! And maybe a few other fan favorites as well. **_

_**Please Review!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey! So, as promised, here is a chapter that introduces three of my favorite characters from Glee. Sam, Quinn and Brittney are some other favorites. Finn isn't, which is why he's kind of awkward hahah. Well, in this chapter, I think you may be surprised by the song that a certain diva decides to belt out with the help of her new found friends, but I promise it'll make sense as I dig deeper into her story line, which WILL come out...eventually. I also realized that I forgot to give you the song For Good in the last chapter, so, sorry! I still don't own Glee, and read and review!**  
_

_ watch?v=0NKUpo_xKyQ_

Glee Blacksmith Chapter 3-Violetedge

**Violetedge**

"Welcome to Violetedge." Sam read the sign. "Village of shimmering hope."

"Well we could definitely use some of that." Bruce mumbled, stomping past his pupil and through the open gates of the village.

They'd been walking for almost a week straight, stopping just long enough to rest before taking off again. Their journey was made infinitely harder because of Bruce's constant paranoia. He had forced them to follow rivers and tree-lines, making them stick to the shadows in case of another close call.

Quinn and Sam understood his reasoning, but that didn't stop them from complaining at the lack of efficiency. They were tired, and dirty, and sore all over, and they were not happy about it.

Bruce's constant training had not stopped either, and while they had both managed to build up some skill, it wasn't much. His heart was in the right place, but Bruce was too brash to really teach them. He was a firm believer in acting through reflexes, and just got more and more frustrated each time he knocked them to the ground.

When Quinn had gotten frustrated and pointed out that they might learn better if he told them what they were doing wrong, he spat that true warriors had it in their blood.

Sam had a lot of respect for Bruce, but time on the road, away from his family, his life, and his business, had made the man irritable, and Sam found it harder and harder to keep a level head. He hoped that some rest and relaxation in the limits of a new city might lead to some peace for all of them.

"I need a wash." Quinn moaned, stomping past Sam after Bruce.

They all did, truly, but Bruce didn't like to let them out of his sight after Sam was almost caught back in Ostvale, and for Quinn, that was a problem when she wanted to bathe. She'd washed up as much as she could in any rivers, fully clothed of course, but she really wanted some privacy, and a tub full of _warm_ water.

Sam paused just outside of the gates, looking from side to side. There were two large pillars of purple crystal sticking out of the ground. They were magnificent, with a twinkling light in the very middle of each. He smiled and found that, though small, the light made him content.

"Hurry up!" Bruce bellowed back and Sam jogged through, back into civilization.

* * *

Violetedge was a bustling city, far busier than Ostvale. There were carriages parading every which way down larger, more defined, cobblestone streets. Along the sides of the streets were vendors, just like back home, but these shopkeepers were much more competitive, and had wares that Quinn and Sam had only heard rumours of.

There were specialty shops of all sorts; off to their right a robust woman in a helmet with braids loudly pitched specialty shields, and on their other side, a meek old man gestured calmly to several pendants laid out on a cloth in front of him.

"Is there anything you can't buy in this place?" Quinn gawked, looking around at an average looking teen selling coils of rope. She looked to the other side where a man with an eye patch was waving a cage with a pigeon inside around in the air.

"Violetedge is one of the biggest towns in the Kingdom." Bruce said. He turned and made eye contact with her. "Which means we should be good to hide here for a while."

"It's so cool!" Sam said, looking around at a dark skinned girl selling fruit and vegetables, and a grizzled man with a bandaged hand selling slabs of meat. "Do we have any money?" He asked.

Bruce grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a sack full of coins. He opened it to show them; there were plenty of copper ones, a good number of silver and even a few gold pieces here and there.

"Half of my savings right here. Blacksmithing may not be a popular employment in Ostvale, but when you're the only one, you can stand to make a hefty sum." He laughed heartily and Sam gawked.

Bruce shoved the money back in his pocket and pointed.

"There, Violetedge Inn, that's where we're heading." He said.

The kids followed him as he stepped through the swinging oak doors that led into the Inn. Sam couldn't help but compare it to his home back in Ostvale.

The layout was fairly similar, with a staircase to the left leading to upper levels, and a check in desk to the right, but it appeared that there was a large mess hall down a corridor directly ahead, with several other rooms alongside it. The decor was far ritzier than his home; where they could barely afford a nice painting or two, this place had tapestries galore, and gleaming medals and weapons proclaiming the victories of townspeople lining the wall behind the desk.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" A smiling red haired woman popped out from behind the desk, adjusting some dusty glasses on her nose.

"We were looking for a room, if you've got one!" Bruce smiled, approaching her.

"Sure thing! How many and for how long?"

"Two rooms, I think, and we probably won't be staying any longer than a week." He said. Quinn and Sam exchanged a disappointed look that didn't go unnoticed by the cheery attendant behind the desk.

"Just visiting eh?" She said sympathetically. "I know it seems like a great town, but I'll tell you one thing, it's lost a lot of its splendor since the King came into power. You'll get sick of it before too long." She laughed.

Sam and Quinn laughed back good naturedly, but neither really felt it. It didn't matter how dull the town was, it still meant food, rest, and washing on a regular basis. That was a life they both missed.

"If I could just have your names than!" She smiled.

"Our names?" Sam asked. His mother never recorded their visitors' names, she had lived by the mantra that if the customer wanted her to know their names, they would tell her on their own, and if not, she didn't care enough to ask.

"Yes..." The woman said, raising her eyebrow. "Its common procedure...is it not the same where you come from?" She asked.

"Nope!" He shrugged. "Oh well, must just be because this is a bigger town."

"Right." She nodded. "Where did you say you came from again?"

"We didn't." Bruce interjected swiftly. "We're actually just passing through, my name is...Jo. Jo Black." He said, glancing back at the others.

"Alright..." The woman looked skeptically at him but jotted it down with a quill and some ink. She turned to Sam and Quinn. "And you two?"

"Judy." Quinn said. "Judy Fabr...ic." She smiled as convincingly as she could.

"Judy _Fabric_?"

Quinn nodded, gulping nervously.

"And you?" She asked Sam.

"Umm...uhh...Brittney!" He looked frantically around the room, desperately searching for a last name. His eyes locked on the wall of trophy weapons. "Arrow." He finished lamely. The woman paused and then turned around to look at the bow and quiver hung up behind her head.

"Your name is Brittney Arrow?" She asked. "Brittney Arrow...Judy _Fabric_, and Jo Black." She summarized.

They all nodded lamely, perfectly aware of how bad their lies were.

"Alright!" She threw her hands up, palms outward. "Whatever, you'll be in rooms twenty four and twenty five upstairs, there's a mess hall down this hallway here, and if you want to wash up just let me know, I'll heat up a washtub." She smiled at them.

"Yes!" Quinn yelled, slamming her hands down on the desk. They all paused and stared at her. "Dibs. I...I just need to wash, like now. I am so gross and sticky and sweaty and dirty and...ugh, I need to wash." She shook her head frantically.

The red haired woman blinked and looked at Quinn over her spectacles.

"You certainly are an interesting bunch aren't you...?" She said. "I'll go heat up the water, follow me!" She turned and bounced away. Quinn rolled her eyes back blissfully before running after her.

Bruce glanced at his apprentice.

"Let's go get settled, then you two can go and get some supplies while I hit the pub. I definitely need a drink..."

* * *

"There you are Judy." The woman smiled at Quinn, indicating a long metal basin that sat, elevated, above hot coals. "There are cleaning herbs and pastes on the far wall; I'll leave you to it!" She nodded and ducked out.

"Thank you." Quinn called and then slowly closed the door, breathing in the steam around her. She could practically feel the dirt fleeing her body, and she hadn't even gotten in yet.

She crossed to the far wall and began examining the shelf. They had everything! Pastes and mixtures made of tree sap and berry juice and crushed leaves and goats milk, bars of soap made of vegetable oils and others of animal fats, wash clothes of all sorts of textures and fabrics.

Quinn stood there for quite some time just inhaling the delicious mixture of scents before grabbing as many hygiene products as she could get her hands on and practically leaping out of her clothing and into the tub.

"Aah..." She sighed contentedly, sinking into the warm water. She held up a bar of vegetable oil soup and looked at it dreamily. She wrapped it in a wash cloth, creating a sort of squeegee, and then worked it into a lather. She watched in awe as the caked on dirt fell away from her arm. "Who knew? I'm white!" She laughed.

When she was finished she examined her arms, absolutely enthralled, revelling in how clean she was.

"Thank you vegetable oil soap!" She sighed, pressing it to her lips and kissing it dramatically. She paused and immediately began to sputter. "Oh gah!" She tossed the soap onto the edge and leaned forwards, clawing at her tongue with her hands.

Unfortunately, her hands were even soapier, and that only escalated the bad taste. She gagged and tried to dip her tongue into the water, but her foot slipped and she ended up falling headfirst with a huge splash. She flipped around in the water, accidentally dislodging the soap on the edge and sending it tumbling into the water with her.

When she finally managed to right herself again, it had somehow ended up on top of her head. She glared at it mutinously as it slid down her hair and into the water with a plop.

"Thank you vegetable oil soup..." She scowled.

She reached over to a jar of berry-mint paste and gathered a copious amount in her hands, working it into a lather. Thanks to her impressive poise and grace, she'd already soaked her hair completely, so it wasn't long before she was lathering it up as well.

She paused as her hand got stuck.

"Oh no..." She mumbled, yanking on it. She gave it some slack and then pulled harder, accidentally dunking herself underwater again. There was sap in her hair. All. Through. Her hair. She reached up with her other hand and tried to dislodge herself, only to get her second hand stuck as well. "Umm..." She paused. "Mrs?" She called softly.

She got no response so she tried dunking her head and pulling her hands through her hair again that way, but did not succeed. She spotted a horse-hair comb across the room and carefully stepped out of the tub, tip toeing across the room towards it.

It was then that she realized that her hands were both stuck in her hair, and she needed at least one to grab the comb.

Determined, Quinn bit her tongue and turned around, flailing with her open fingers that poked out through the nest of hair atop her head. She felt the bristles against her fingers and let out a noise of success, grabbing it and pulling.

The nail it was attached to pulled her back into the wall and she stumbled, slipping and falling against it.

The entire shelf of wash clothes fell down on top of her, leaving only a foot, a few fingers and her face sticking out.

It was then that the woman returned to see how she was doing.

"Hello..." Quinn waved pitifully.

* * *

"And until you learn how to bathe properly, _don't ask for another!_" The woman scowled and slammed the door. Quinn turned to face Bruce and Sam who sat on the bed of room twenty four.

"I...I got stuck..." She explained pitifully.

They burst out into hysterical laughter.

"I hate you both..." She scowled.

"Well your hair looks really nice now at least!" Sam supplied helpfully, beaming. It felt good to laugh genuinely; he was startled to realize that he'd almost forgotten the feeling.

"Thanks!" She smiled. "Doesn't it though? Its berry and mint leaves, _very _nice. It smells _so _good! Here, smell it!" She tilted her head towards him and he inhaled.

"That actually does smell delicious." He agreed. "I might use that when I wash up."

"My water's still warm I think, you could probably use it. It's filthy though..." She said.

"Well it's about to get filthier!" He smiled and then ran from the room, leaving a trail of mud-caked clothing in his wake.

* * *

Once they were all clean, dry and content, they sat on the bed of room twenty four looking around. They'd decided that Quinn and Sam would share the room, and Bruce would get his own. He felt he deserved it after saving their lives and such. It seemed likely that he wasn't ever going to let them live that down.

"We're going to need more supplies." Bruce said, rubbing a cloth behind his ears. "We've literally run out, and we may not be able to live off the land if we head to harsher climates."

"Harsher climates?" Sam asked incredulously.

"No..." Quinn moaned.

"Yes harsher climates, they're less likely to follow us there." Bruce said plainly.

"They've got the entire Imperial Army at their command; they're going to follow us anywhere." Quinn said, annoyed.

"Look, we came here because you said it was a good idea, we'll leave because it's an even better one. Violetedge is one of the most populated villages in the Kingdom; they'll expect us to come here."

"Why can't we enjoy ourselves while we're here though?" Sam asked.

"It's not up for discussion, here." He tossed them the bag of gold coins. "I left enough in there for some non-perishables like smoked meats, none of those fruit scams, we can pick our own apples. There should be enough for some new clothing if you budget it right." He looked at their meager threads. "The clothing you've got isn't all that suited for warfare..." He laughed.

"Where will you be?" Quinn asked.

"There's an adult-only pub near the gates, I'm going there to cut loose for the night. I'll probably see you in the morning. Buy a pack first so you can carry your supplies."

Sam nodded, pocketing the bag of money and turning for the door.

"Come on _Judy." _He teased.

"I'm coming _Brittney." _She grinned and he scowled, ducking his head. Her mother and his _female _best friend, they really were obviously incredibly original people. She paused when they stepped outside the door. "So we're going to do something fun right?"

"Uh...yeah!" Sam said obviously. If Bruce was going to cut loose, than so were they. They'd worked hard enough that they deserved at least one night of relaxation.

* * *

"How much?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Five gold coins." The merchant repeated.

"For dried fruit?" Quinn clarified.

"Yes." She said impatiently. "The best dried fruit in Violetedge."

"Back home its two coppers!"

"You're not back home though, are you?" The merchant sneered.

Sam and Quinn looked at one another shocked.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously, now pay up!" The woman snapped.

"Excuse me!" A sassy voice called out. They both turned to find the dark skinned vendor who had been selling produce earlier in the day.

"Get out of here _Mercedes_!" The woman snarled.

"You can't overcharge people for your merchandise. Girl please." She said, holding up a hand seriously. She looked at Quinn and Sam. "It's cheaper if you dry your own fruit. She says that the extra charge is for the process, but really all you gotta do is peel and core whatever you're trying to dry, dip them in citrus water, cut 'em, set them out on parchment over a fire, and then store them. It's not as hard as she pretends it is."

Quinn and Sam exchanged another look, turning to look at the newcomer. Mercedes was a dark skinned girl with a long white skirt and a lace up brown vest covering a low cut white blouse. She was carrying a basket of fruit in one hand, and had a jug of water in the other.

"Here, you can have an apple." She said, sidling closer to them, and holding up the basket. "On the house, so you can practice drying." She smiled.

"No, we have money, we can pay you!" Sam insisted.

"Boy please!" She laughed. "Just don't tell my boss." She smiled and looked around as if checking that she wasn't being followed. "That girl is all kinds of crazy."

"Don't be ridiculous, we're not going to take away your profits!" Quinn scoffed.

"Well, you weren't going to buy anything from me anyways, so you're not really taking any away!" She said. "It's an apple! I have to get back to work though, here!" She reached over and bumped an apple off of the top of the pile with the water jug.

Sam caught it before it hit the ground and moved to put it back, but Mercedes was already weaving away through the crowd of people.

"Stupid black girl always foiling my sales..." The crony woman behind the desk snarled.

"Black girl?" Sam paused. He hadn't really noticed her skin color, but it was true, she was black, and it occurred to him that he'd never met a black person before. He wasn't too concerned about it, but he did wonder why that was. Most people in Ostvale were blonde, he'd assumed it was just genetics, but Sam didn't see any other black people in Violetedge either!

"Wait!" Quinn yelled out, moving forwards through the crowd. Sam barely had time to grab her hand before she vanished, pulling him along with her. Mercedes didn't slow, but as she reached her stand she turned to look at them with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"Don't people do nice things where you guys come from?" She asked. "It's one apple! It is not going to decide whether or not I eat tonight, though from the looks of you two, it might be the first thing you've eaten in a week!" She half-joked, pulling fruit out of her basket to set on the table in front of her.

"Well...we had fish once in a while..." Sam supplied lamely.

"People do nice things, but usually for people they know." Quinn said seriously.

"Nice to meet you, I am the sassy, superfluous, plus-sized sexy Mercedes! Now you know me!" She smiled at them, and shrugged, taking her seat behind the table.

Sam scowled and took out the bag of money. He began to carefully count out coins.

"Well we appreciate it very much." Quinn said. She paused. "Hey, we're new in town..."

"Oh really?" Mercedes said dryly. It was clear that she'd managed to put that much together for herself.

"How could you tell?" Sam asked.

"Your clothing is covered in mud and grass and you look like you haven't had a real meal in months. I'd say you're travellers, but usually travellers dress better."

"Well we weren't really planning on-" He started but Quinn cut him off.

"Do you think you could show us around town sometime? We won't be staying too long, but it'd be nice to have a friend while we're here." Quinn said, giving Sam a look that didn't go unnoticed by Mercedes.

"Sure!" She said slowly, deciding to ignore the look. "I work until sundown, but I'd be happy to show you around once I get off!"

"Five gold coins!" Sam called out triumphantly, dropping the coins on the table. "See you tonight; we're staying at the inn!" He cackled giddily, grabbed Quinn's hand and pulled her away before Mercedes could protest.

* * *

**Crystals Of Hope**

"You gave her how much money?" Bruce bellowed.

"Five gold coins..." Sam mumbled.

Bruce fumed, running a hand through his hair. He growled and slammed his hand against the wall. He opened his mouth again but turned and stormed out of the room again.

"You did the right thing." Quinn reassured him. He nodded.

"I know... He doesn't have to get so mad..."

Quinn stood up and walked over to the window, glancing outside at the sky.

"The sun's starting to set; we should probably go meet Mercedes." She said. Sam nodded again, standing up. They'd cleaned up as much as they could, and Quinn had placed her Cupid's Rose back in her hair, but their clothing was in total disrepair. They really needed new articles.

He opened the door for her and they stepped out into the hallway, hopping down the stairs and nodding cordially to the receptionist who waved back. They stepped outside just as Mercedes arrived to retrieve them.

"Oh! Hi!" She waved, smiling cheerfully.

"Hi!" Quinn waved back. Mercedes gave Sam a look, clearly still unsure of whether to be annoyed or amused by his money scandal.

He snickered.

"Hello _Mercedes_!" He said.

"You haven't told me your names yet!" Mercedes said suddenly. Quinn and Sam shared a look.

"Umm...my name...is Brittney Arrow." He said.

"I'm Judy Fabric..." She said. Mercedes looked at them both.

"You really aren't from around here are you?" She laughed.

"No, no we are not." Quinn laughed, nodding. "So what's the plan?"

"I don't know, I was thinking we should go shopping to get you guys some new clothing, you're both kind of...ratty." She teased. "My treat! I got a huge tip today from these two fools, so I can afford it." She glared at them both, almost daring them to oppose her.

"Fine." Quinn grumbled. Mercedes cheered and turned to lead them away from the inn.

* * *

An hour later Quinn and Sam were standing outside of the changing screen in the Violetedge Boutique, piled high with clothing that Mercedes wanted them to try on. She clapped her hands excitedly and sat down, gesturing for Quinn to start dressing. Mercedes had already picked out an outfit of her own for that night and had it stacked and tied beside her.

Sam sat down with Mercedes to wait. He turned to her as Quinn disappeared behind the screen.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you something." He said, turning to her. "Those crystals around town, where did they come from?" He asked.

"Oh they've always been there! They were here before Violetedge showed up. There's a legend about them, actually!"

"Really?" He asked.

Quinn stepped out wearing a long pale yellow dress.

"Umm...no." Mercedes shook her head, gesturing for Quinn to try something else on. She turned back to Sam. "And yep!"

"What is it?" He asked.

She sat up straight and looked at him seriously. "Legend states that as long as there is hope in the land, the crystals will shine brighter than the stars!" She grinned, eyes sparkling at the romantic idea. "Of course...they haven't lit up in years..."

Quinn walked out wearing a billowy white skirt and a pale pink blouse. Mercedes shook her head and waved her away again.

"They were lit up when I walked in. Just a dim little light in the very middle, but that's something right!" Sam said offhandedly. Mercedes paused and stared at him.

"Seriously? Don't play with me right now boy." She said.

"I'm not playing!" He laughed. "They were lit up, weren't they Quinn?"

Quinn popped her head out of the side of the screen and nodded.

"Not like, shining, but there was definitely a light in them."

Mercedes fell silent as Quinn stepped back in.

She didn't say anything, but Mercedes wondered if the light in the amethyst had anything to do with the arrival of these two. She'd lived in Violetedge for a long time now, the town was named after those crystals, but she had never seen so much as a glimmer of hope inside of them. If what these two said was true, then maybe...maybe that meant something.

Quinn walked out and Sam's jaw dropped. Mercedes turned and squealed instantly.

"Oh my gosh! Diva, you look hot. I'm not even joking, girl looks fierce." She nodded intensely and Quinn blushed. She was wearing knee-length brown leather boots and black tights under a blue-tunic belted with brown leather with long white sleeves. Her light hair contrasted beautifully with the bright blue and she looked _hot_.

"Whoa!" Sam laughed. She did look really good; he was comfortable enough with their friendship to admit it. He hopped up and grabbed his clothing, walking over and pushing her out. "You're getting those." He laughed.

"They're kind of expensive..." She admitted, but she couldn't stop smiling. She looked good, and she knew it.

"Girl, I'm buying, don't even worry about it." Mercedes shook her head. Quinn blushed and sat down next to her. "You are going to get eyeballed, I'm just telling you now."

"Me?" Quinn asked. "Please, I only get checked out by weird people."

"Not anymore." Mercedes laughed. "Your boyfriend will have to fight them off."

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend. I'm single." Quinn blushed.

"Girl...Not for long."

Quinn laughed but then sighed.

"I doubt it...I'm pretty, but I'm not sexy. I don't turn heads." She sighed, lowering her voice so that only Mercedes could hear.

"I'm not sexy either." Mercedes said. "I talk a big game, but I'm not. I know what you mean, but trust me; you're more than just pretty. You're beautiful! Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Sam walked out in brown slacks and a black vest. Mercedes cringed and shook her head.

"Well what about you?" Quinn asked eager to change topics. "Do you have anybody?"

Mercedes frowned.

"I...it's a long story, but no."

"What happened?" Quinn asked.

Mercedes paused for a long time. Sam walked out in an orange pirate shirt but she waved him back in again.

"Sometimes, love hurts more than it heals." She said mysteriously. Quinn was about to press the issue when Sam walked out in fitted black pants, a white shirt and a dark blue vest that tied together along his left side, and black leather shoes.

"That looks really good." Quinn nodded.

"Uh...yeah." Mercedes nodded, though her mind was obviously elsewhere. Quinn wondered if she would ever learn where. "I'm going to change now actually, and then we can go out for drinks!"

She skipped behind the screen and came out moments later wearing black buckled ankle boots, tights and a knee-length dark purple dress belted under her chest with a black leather strap. She picked up her bag and Sam grabbed the brown burlap pack that he had acquired and slung it over his shoulder.

"Alright, time to party!" Mercedes cheered.

* * *

Twenty copper coins later, they were seated at the bar of a lively pub on the north side of Violetedge. There were plenty of younger people there, like them, and Bruce was nowhere in sight so they assumed he'd gone off to a seedier location to vent his frustrations.

The place was crawling with excitement, and a live band played popular music in a roped off corner. Mercedes, who seemed well known throughout the town, had not only gotten them in, but had gotten them drinks as well.

"This is awesome!" Sam yelled, looking around.

"Kid, this is Violetedge." The bartender growled cheerfully.

Sam smiled and shared a look of excitement with Quinn. Life on the road for two weeks had been rough, but it was certainly paying off. This was way more exciting than Ostvale had ever been.

"Hey Mercedes, I don't mean to be racist, but why are you the only black person I've ever met?" Sam asked. She paused.

"I'm just special, I guess." She smiled tightly and turned away. Sam turned to look at Quinn who was happily sipping from a mug. He felt a jolt suddenly, like something was triggering in his mind, but the pieces had yet to fit.

"Mercedes Jones." The singer of the band yelled out, waving to her. She waved shyly back. "We think it's your turn!" He said.

"I'm entertaining my friends!" She protested.

"Well entertain them with this!" He yelled back and immediately the pianist started jamming out.

Sam and Quinn both turned to face her, surprise on their faces.

"You sing?"

"Girl." Mercedes grinned. "I bring the house down! But I'm not feeling very power ballad today...Hey! How 'bout a softer song. To start at least."

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Ellie Goulding: Lights-**

Sam grabbed her and pushed her towards the band.

She turned around as the music picked up and resigned herself to her performance.

_"I had a way then...losing it all on my own." _She sang. The base drum jumped in and she smiled. _"I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown." _She looked out the window of the bar.

The patrons quieted down to watch her and Sam and Quinn exchanged a look of surprise at the stunning quality of her voice.

_"And I'm not sleeping now; __the dark is too hard to beat..."_ She sang, eyes fixed on the moon. _"And I'm not keeping now...the strength I need to push me." _

She whipped her head forwards and strutted off the stage, stepping on the beat through the crowd.

_"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone! You shine It when I'm alone." _She sang. She reached her seat again and stepped onto it and then onto the bar. _"And so I tell myself that I'll be strong! And dreaming when they're gone cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home." _

She sang, looking down at Sam and Quinn smiling.

_"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; you shine it when I'm alone."_She twirled further down the bar and leapt off of it.

_"Home!" _Quinn and Sam sang in the background. Mercedes gasped and nodded, beckoning them forwards.

_"Noises, I play within my head." _She sang as they jumped off their chairs and skipped through the crowd towards the roped off corner. _"Touch my own skin, and hope that I'm still breathing." _

She drew a hand up her arm and then popped her chest as Sam and Quinn stepped into place behind her on either side.

_"And I think back to when..." _She turned to Sam and then Quinn. _"...my brother and my sister slept. In an unlocked place...the only time I feel safe." _

She grinned and hopped in place, pumping her fist in the air, Sam and Quinn mimicking her in the background.

_"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone! You shine it when I'm alone!" _They all sang. They hopped twice and then Quinn twirled into Sam's spot while he skidded along the ground and Mercedes leapt over his head and then turned to Quinn's spot.

_"And so I tell myself that I'll be strong!" _Sam flexed, nodded and then jumped backwards as Quinn swayed into his spot.

_"And dreaming when they're gone." _She sang. Sam and Mercedes joined her, swaying and clapping to the beat. _"Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home!"_

Quinn twirled back to her original spot and Mercedes strutted back up the middle.

_"You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone! You shine it when I'm alone!" _She sang.

_"Home!" _The others sang. _"Lights, lights, lights, lights." _Sam and Quinn step-touched back and forth, repeating the phrase four times.

_"Home, home..."_ Mercedes swallowed deeply and looked out at the night sky.

_"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone! You shine it when I'm alone!" _They all sang. They hopped twice again and then Quinn leapt to the side while Sam spun so that he was back to back with Mercedes. They spun once more and then she broke away and hopped onto the bar.

_"And so I tell myself that I'll be strong!" _Sam flexed again and then turned leaping onto the bar after Mercedes.

_"And dreaming when they're gone." _Quinn sang. She joined the others on the bar and Sam and Mercedes joined her. _"Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home!" _They sang as they walked up the bar.

_"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; you shine it when I'm alone!" _Mercedes sang.

_"Home!" _The others sang before launching into another round of repeating 'lights'.

_"Home. Home." _Mercedes swapped places with Sam so that she stood in the center again and turned to face the audience. _"Home. Home."_

The audience cheered loudly as the three of them bowed. They jumped off of the bar and Sam and Quinn stood by their seats while Mercedes went to talk to the band.

Quinn grabbed her drink and turned to her best friend. She happily took a sip.

"I think this is it Sam, our new home, we won't have to run anymore!" She said. "We're safe here!"

"I think you're right!" He laughed. "This is great!" He punched a fist in the air. Quinn laughed, nodding, and turned away from him. She stumbled slightly and the mug from which she'd been drinking fell.

Sam watched it fall, as if in slow motion. His blood went cold all of a sudden, his fingers felt like ice. He turned to look at the heavy wooden doors directly across from them and swore.

"Run!" He yelled suddenly. He grabbed Quinn and pushed her into the crowd just as the mug shattered.

The doors burst inwards, sending a cold draft of air into the room. Somebody screamed as Riker stepped forwards backed by a dozen soldiers

* * *

**Savages**

"What do we do?" Quinn whispered, terrified.

Sam crouched down next to her and peeked over the bar. Riker was advancing with his troops, and he was being merciless in his interrogations.

"We're looking for fugitives. We know they're here. Where the hell are they?" He snarled at a balding middle-aged man. The man looked around frantically.

"I...I don't know!" He stammered.

Riker looked away and smiled coldly before whipping out his sword and stabbing the man in the stomach. "I won't ask again." He snarled, pulling the sword out. The man fell to the ground with a thump.

Sam's eyes widened and he slowly crouched down, hand over his mouth, back against the bar. He began to breathe heavily.

Quinn looked past him at the bartender who was looking from them to Riker. She shook her head frantically, begging him with her eyes not to say anything. He looked torn, like he knew they were innocent, but he didn't know if it was worth it.

He looked at her apologetically before turning to the soldiers and opening his mouth.

Mercedes appeared suddenly behind him and pressed her fingers against his temples, knocking him unconscious. She caught him and slowly lowered him to the ground before crawling over to Sam and Quinn.

"Follow me." She whispered, crawling around a shelf of alcohol. Quinn nodded and pulled Sam along after her, crawling blindly.

Mercedes led them through a door that was propped open leading to a large wine cellar. She jumped to her feet and hurried to the far wall just as a commotion broke out in the other room. Sam guessed that the citizens weren't being as cooperative as Riker would've liked.

"This way!" She hissed. Sam and Quinn jumped to their feet as well. "Up there." She pointed. Far above their heads was a window. It was good sized, not large enough that the guards would expect them to flee from it.

"Alright." Sam nodded, looking over his shoulder at the cellar door. He bent down and gestured for Quinn to clamber onto his shoulders. She tentatively obliged and grabbed Mercedes' hands as he stood up. "I've got you." He assured her.

"I know..." She swallowed nervously and let go of Mercedes, turning to the window. "It just swings open." She said, reaching out and popping the latch. She pushed out and the window creaked forwards.

"Alright, crawl out." Sam said.

She nodded and reached through it, grabbing both sides and pulling herself through. She looked around and found herself in the tree-lined area behind the bar. She heard movement and gasped, flattening her back against a barrel of wine that sat just outside of the window.

Two soldiers walked past, talking in low tones to one another. They paused just in front of her and she squeezed her eyes shut and tensed her body.

Inside, Sam and Mercedes were frozen, backs pressed up against the wall, eyes looking up at the opening.

"Hey..." One of the soldiers said suddenly, looking at the open window.

"Yeah I noticed that." The other said, approaching.

He turned and walked towards the window and Quinn, as soundlessly as she could, crawled to the other side of the barrel, praying that the darkness would cover her.

"It's the wine cellar. They must be airing it out so it doesn't mold." He surmised.

"Makes sense." The other nodded. "Let's report back, there's nobody back here."

They walked away and the three of them let out a deep breath that they hadn't even consciously been holding in.

Sam knelt down and grabbed Mercedes's hands. She stepped onto his knee and let go, balancing for a moment before grabbing onto the window. Quinn clambered out from behind the barrel and grabbed her wrists to help pull her through.

When both girls had made it in they turned back to help Sam. He crouched and jumped as high as he could, managing to grab the bottom ledge of the window. He braced his legs against the wall as the girls grabbed his arms, and crawled through after them.

"Okay, what is going on?" Mercedes asked in a hushed whisper.

"We don't have time to explain." Quinn protested.

"Girl, I just saved your lives, you owe me."

"My name is Sam Evans, this is Quinn Fabray. She was chosen as a sacrifice to the king and I saved her, now we're fugitives and they want us dead." Sam said hastily. "We came here because a sorceress told us that it was a good idea."

Mercedes looked worriedly between the two of them before nodding.

"Run. Hide out in the woods." She said. "I'll tell the guards that I saw you leave town."

"People will know you know us, we just performed together, there's not one person in that bar who won't testify to that." Quinn protested again.

"It's the only chance you've got." Mercedes insisted, trying to push them away.

"Come with us!" Sam suggested.

"Yes! You know these woods better than we do, there's safety in numbers." Quinn nodded.

"Not if you're trying to hide." She said. "Now hurry up!"

Quinn and Sam looked torn; they turned from the woods and back to Mercedes again.

"Go!" She said.

"Thank you." Sam hugged her tightly and then broke away. Quinn grabbed her hands and locked eyes with her.

"You saved our lives." She said teary-eyed. "Thank you..."

"Just be careful...people talk about wild savages living in those woods. Don't let your guard down." She said. Quinn nodded and Mercedes hugged her tightly before shoving her away.

Sam and Quinn paused at the edge of the forest and turned back, smiling tightly. Mercedes nodded and blinked back tears, smiling and waving back. They turned and vanished into the forest. Mercedes sighed and lowered her hand, wiping at her eyes.

"Hello Mercedes..." A cold voice said.

Mercedes froze.

"Hello Savannah." Mercedes said, not turning around.

"Come on _girl_." Savannah mocked, approaching her. "Turn around and face your almost step-sister."

Mercedes set her jaw and turned, glaring at the blonde woman.

"I don't want to see you, or Coal, ever again." Mercedes snapped.

"But I thought it was love!" Savannah cackled.

"I did too..." Mercedes blinked back tears.

"Aww...did I hit a nerve?" Savannah asked. "Don't you just love it when I do that?"

"What do you _want _Savannah?" Mercedes snapped.

"Look, we're here for the fugitives. It's just convenient that we found you too."

"What are you talking about; I told Coal I was done being his plaything." Mercedes said coldly, staring down the crazy blonde woman.

"That's the problem Mercedes, nobody says no to my brother. He gets, what he wants, and when _he's _done with _you_, then you deal with it and crawl back into the little hole where he found you until he wants you again." Savannah snapped.

"I'm not that scared little girl anymore Savannah." Mercedes said with a shaky breath. She took a few steps backwards until she stood behind the wine barrel that Quinn had been hiding behind. "And you can tell Coal that himself."

"Look, we don't make a habit of visiting people like you, and we're tired of trying to hunt you down. I think it's time for you to go back where you came from." Savannah snarled and lunged at her.

Mercedes planted a foot on the barrel and kicked it, smashing it into Savannah's shins. The blonde woman hit the ground hard and Mercedes turned to run, but Savannah grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground.

Mercedes turned around and kicked her attacker in the face, freeing her again and leaping to her feet to run as Savannah began screaming bloody murder.

Ignoring her, Mercedes sprinted around the corner of the bar, tearing away towards the street. She had just passed the front of the bar when Riker appeared, grabbing her from behind and lifting her easily off the ground.

"No!" She howled, flailing her legs as her arms were pinned against her own body. She tried to kick against him, but it didn't do anything.

"Well, you're not quite the fugitive I was looking for, but you'll do! Hello again Mercedes. I haven't seen you since you fled Starryville. You know that's a crime right, for a foreign person to leave Starryville..." He leaned in close to her ear. "Punishable by death, actually."

Mercedes turned her head away, blinking back tears that glistened in the moonlight. She'd been running for so long...it had been a mistake to settle down in Violetedge, but the comforts of civilization were too attractive...

She'd made the mistake of thinking that she was safe, and in the end, it was her undoing.

"But I'm not going to kill you..." Riker hissed in her ear. He began to move, dragging her along the ground towards the road. Mercedes looked up at him in confusion. "No, I think that Coal himself should have that pleasure."

"I don't want to see him!" She said desperately. She looked up to find a cage-caravan attached to a black carriage hauled by equally coal-colored horses.

"I don't care." He laughed. "This cage was for the other fugitives, but you can share." He snapped, shoving her inside. She landed roughly on her knees and turned to glare at him. "Be careful, wouldn't want to rip your pretty little dress." Riker laughed.

Savannah approached them; wiping blood from her nose and giggling like a fool.

"When will you get it Mercedes? You can't get away from us." She laughed. Mercedes grabbed the bars and shook them, blinking back tears. She didn't think she could take it if Coal were the one to kill her. It would hurt her too much emotionally.

She supposed it wouldn't matter for too long anyways.

"Where are the fugitives?" Savannah asked. "You've got nothing left to live for _girl. _Why not be a good little prisoner and save us all some time. We'll find them eventually anyways, and when we do, we'll stab them each one extra time for you." She smiled crazily.

"You're sick Savannah." Mercedes said. "Sick."

Savannah's grin dropped.

"You are." Mercedes continued. "All of you. And you know what, I may not have anything left to live for, but those two do so no, I'm not going to tell you where they're going. You'll never find them anyways, they left town as soon as you walked in." She glared at Riker.

His eye twitched furiously and his face gradually began to redden, contrasting unattractively with his dark red hair. Mercedes turned and caught Savannah's eye, glaring at her until the blonde woman screamed in outrage and turned away.

Several soldiers approached then.

"We can't find them." They said.

Riker looked from Mercedes to the soldiers.

"Burn it to the ground." He said.

"What?" Mercedes shrieked.

"You _heard _me!" Riker snarled. "I want nothing left of this stupid village but ash!"

The soldiers nodded and jogged away. Savannah's smile was back on her face as she turned to address Mercedes once again.

"Coal's checking the inn. I think it's time you two were reunited." She turned away. "Care to join me Riker?" She asked.

"I'd like nothing more." He laughed, and together they walked away.

* * *

"Run, Quinn, hurry!" Sam pushed his friend along, both of them bruised and wounded, scratched and sore all over.

They'd been stumbling along in the darkness, lost, afraid, and alone. The fight or flight instinct had kicked in, and flight had won. Their senses were on high alert, and adrenaline pumped through their veins, causing them to jump and start at every crack of a twig or bird in the night.

Sam turned to look over his shoulder and his foot caught a root. He yelled out as his ankle twisted and he crumpled to the ground. Quinn stopped and turned back to him, rushing to his side.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

She crawled down to his feet and tried to daintily untangle the roots. He hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry!" She whispered.

"It's fine." He said. "You should go hide, I'll follow you in a minute." He bit back tears.

"We'd never find each other again." Quinn shook her head. "I already left Brittney; I'm not leaving you too."

"Well that's sweet." They both froze and looked up as the footsteps approached. A soldier walked towards them; helmet tucked under one arm, sword in his opposite hand. "Where's this Brittney girl?"

"Nowhere." Sam said, swallowing nervously.

"Ah...So she helped you, did she?" The soldier laughed. "Just like that black girl from the village, and you left them both in the dust."

"She's just an old friend." Sam said.

"What happened to Mercedes?" Quinn asked.

"She's caught, awaiting death. Kind of like you two." The soldier crouched down in front of them. "Like mice in a trap. You're caught, no place left to run, all it takes is one yell from me and all of the other soldiers in the area will converge here." He smirked.

"Please..." Quinn whispered.

"Oh you don't have to beg, I'm a fair man. I think I could be persuaded to just...walk away. I'd be happy to keep my mouth shut." He said.

"What?" Sam asked. "Seriously?"

"Anything!" Quinn nodded.

"Anything?" The soldier asked with a lecherous gleam in his eye.

The look did not go unnoticed by Quinn who slowly began to back away.

"Well...within reason."

"Oh no, you're the ones who need this deal. You don't get to set parameters." The soldier said, advancing upon her. Sam crawled in between them, but the soldier kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"Sam!"

"Stop!" He wheezed.

"This is between me and the girl." The soldier said, approaching her. She felt tears sting her eyes as her back hit a tree. "So what do you say?" He asked.

"No." Quinn shook her head, looking at Sam apologetically. He nodded to say that it was okay, that he wouldn't have wanted her to answer any other way.

"Why not?" The man snapped.

"Because you're an awful person. No decent human being would even suggest a trade like that." She snapped.

He growled and slapped her hard before turning around and opening his mouth.

"I found-!" His yell cut off suddenly, and his body crumpled to the ground, an arrow protruding from his neck.

* * *

Mercedes sat in the corner of her cage, crying bitterly, sad, cold and alone. She could only hope that Judy and Brittney...no...Quinn and Sam, she reminded herself, had made it out alive.

She heard footsteps approaching and sighed, standing up and turning to the door. If she was going to die, she was going to face death honorably. At least she'd done something right.

* * *

Quinn and Sam looked up, awestruck, to find a boy standing in the middle of the forest, bow in hand, covered in dirt, leaves, twigs and scratches, and illuminated by the moon.

"Savages..." Quinn whispered.

* * *

Mercedes watched the lock click open and the door swing out.

She paused.

"Who are you?"

"Your hero."

* * *

The boy lowered his bow and approached them, stepping with the sure-footedness of a person accustomed to life in the woods. He had unkempt brown hair and skin slightly tanned from a life in the wilderness. His face was hard, and guarded, but there was kindness in his eyes too.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Nobody from the village comes this far into the forest. They're too afraid of us." He laughed bitterly. "Us savages..."

"The king's soldiers are hunting us; we had nowhere else to go." Quinn said.

The boy was silent for a long time but then nodded and turned away.

"Follow me." He said.

Quinn and Sam looked at one another and then back at the savage. The boy stopped and turned around, smiling, amused.

"Well you don't have anywhere better to be, do you?" He asked.

"That's true..." Sam nodded and then clambered to his feet, keeping one foot elevated and hopping along.

Quinn wrapped her arm around his side and allowed him to use her as a crutch.

"Thanks." He smiled and she nodded back.

The boy turned around and started walking again, but upon noticing Sam's injury, started picking through easier routes.

They followed him in silence for quite some time before Sam decided to break the awkwardness.

"What's your name?" He asked.

The boy turned around and Quinn got a look at what he was wearing for the first time.

He was dressed in brown leather pants and had a matching leather vest over a green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was also wearing green suede boots, a green triangular hat with a feather, and had a brown messenger bag.

All in all, he sort of looked like Robin Hood.

"Blaine." He said. "Blaine Anderson." He smiled at them, nodding cordially. "You?"

They looked at one another, debating whether or not it was safe to tell the truth or not. He already knew that they were fugitives, Sam supposed, it wouldn't hurt to tell him the truth.

"Sam Evans." He said.

"Quinn Fabray." Quinn responded.

"Nice to meet you." Blaine nodded. "My sister should be able to fix up your leg." He pointed, bow still in hand.

"Thanks." Sam said, relieved.

Blaine froze suddenly and half-turned. He inched closer and closer to Sam and Quinn, not making a noise. He pressed a hand against their backs, lowering them all back to the ground. He gestured for them to curl up against a large bush and then stood again, backing away and vanishing around a tree.

"What was that about?" Quinn whispered to Sam. She hadn't heard anything, neither had he. None the less, they trusted the hunting instincts of this stranger, and neither moved. Minutes later, two more soldiers paused in front of the bush.

"Dead? You're sure?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Positive..." The other sighed. "An arrow to the throat."

"An arrow? These fugitives are townspeople, where would they have learned archery. Did he struggle?"

"It was a clean wound; the arrow hit the jugular dead on." The first soldier said. "I swear; when I find those kids, I'll kill them myself, screw the dragons."

Quinn gasped.

"Did you hear that?" The second soldier said. They both paused and Sam clamped a hand over Quinn's mouth. "Come out!"

"We know you're there!" The first said. Neither Quinn, nor Sam moved. "It must be those kids. I'll kill them myself." He began to approach the bush and Sam and Quinn tensed up, squeezing their eyes shut.

When they opened them again, a deer stood in front of them. It had wandered out from behind a nearby rock face.

"Wait." The second soldier said. "It was just a deer..."

"Damn..." The other turned away. "Alright, let's report back...We'll need more troops searching these woods if we're going to find them."

"Alright."

Sam and Quinn stared up at the deer as it ate foliage from the bush just above their heads. The soldiers' footsteps faded away to silence.

After a while, Blaine reappeared in front of them, patting the deer. He dug into his satchel and pulled out an apple. He held it out and the deer eagerly dug in.

"You did good! Thank you." Blaine told the animal before patting it on its rump and sending it on its way.

Quinn blinked as she stood.

"You talk to deer?"

"Who else do I have to talk to?" Blaine joked.

Together they helped Sam to his feet again.

"Come on, my home is just around the bend here." He led them forwards.

As he advanced, they examined him. He moved like a hunter, with the instincts of the hunted. It was interesting at the very least, and Sam couldn't help but wonder what had brought him into the woods in the first place.

Eventually, he crawled through a bush so dense that even he made noise as he passed through. Quinn and Sam looked at one another and nodded before crawling through after him.

On the other side was a small clearing, completely surrounded by dense foliage. In the middle, stood a large burrow, with an entrance that lay almost hidden amongst a clump of berry bushes.

"We used to share with a family of bears, but they moved out when we started building furniture." Blaine shrugged and stepped down into the small cave. "They found a nicer cave on the other side of the river."

"Blaine, who are you talking to?" A female voice sounded and Quinn and Sam paused at the top of a set of stairs carved into the earth.

"I...uh...I brought home some guests!" Blaine said nervously.

"What? Blaine! What were you thinking? We can't have guests here and you know exactly why! Not to mention, the cave is a mess and is hardly in appropriate shape for a gathering."

"One of them is hurt." Both voices lowered to intense whispers. "They're fugitives Rachel, I couldn't leave them out there in the woods. His leg would've given out if he had to run on that, it needs to be wrapped at the very least."

"Why couldn't you bring them into the town or something? Why did you have to reveal yourself at all?"

"The woods are crawling with soldiers; I can only assume there are even more in town. There was a soldier on them when I found them, his intentions were...less than good, I guess you could say."

The girl sighed.

"Alright. Fine. Come on down, welcome to the Anderson-Berry abode!" She yelled up.

Hesitantly, Sam and Quinn descended the steps and entered into a surprisingly charming little hovel. The walls had been carved out and there was a fire going in a small alcove that continued up and out into the night sky. There was some wooden furniture about that had clearly been hand-made. All in all, it looked like the pair had all of the essentials needed to survive, and absolutely nothing else.

"Hello." The girl said. Though she seemed stressed out, she smiled friendlily and nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want company, it was that she was unused to it, Quinn guessed. Though she supposed that the presence of two fugitives in one's home would make anybody upset.

"Hi, sorry for intruding." Sam said, waving politely.

"Oh it's okay, you're not intruding we've just...well we've never had company before." She said. "I'm Rachel Berry."

Rachel was a very pretty teenager around Sam's age, with sleek brown hair that fell past her shoulders. She was wearing tan riding pants, knee-length brown boots and a tapered dark red shirt with the sleeves pushed up. Unlike her brother, she had a belt strapped around her waist with a holster that held a small cooking knife. A spear leaned against one wall of the cave, and Sam could only assume that it too, was hers.

"Wait, Rachel _Berry?_" Sam asked. "And you're Blaine _Anderson?" _He continued. "But you're siblings. How does that work?"

They looked at one another, shrugging.

"We picked our last names." He said. Rachel nodded, smiling.

"Why?" Quinn asked, laughing.

"Why not?" He supplied ambiguously. Quinn opened her mouth to continue, but Rachel interrupted her.

"It's sort of a long story."

"Okay..." Quinn said, clearly still confused, but not wanting to push it. She was a guest, after all, and if this girl thought she was too nosy to keep in their home, than Quinn was screwed.

"So why are you fugitives?" Rachel asked, leaning against the wall. Quinn and Sam took the two seats at the table and Blaine leaned against the wall opposite the entrance.

"Well..." Quinn paused. "The soldiers came to our town...Ostvale...and they said that they were looking for a sacrifice. They picked me. Sam saved me, and we've been on the run ever since."

"Where is Ostvale?" Blaine asked.

"It's in the south-western region. We've been travelling for two weeks now; we just got to Violetedge this morning." Sam explained.

"We didn't even get to sleep in a real bed..." Quinn frowned.

"Well, unfortunately we won't really be able to help you there." Rachel laughed. "Sorry!"

"Oh that's okay!" Quinn shook her head. "I wasn't trying to, like; suggest you let us take yours or something."

"Well, we don't have beds either." Blaine laughed.

"We sleep on moss, but it is far more comfortable than you might imagine, you're free to sleep there if you want." Rachel offered. "You must be tired, being chased by the King's soldiers and all."

"You have no idea." Sam sighed, laying his head on the table and sprawling his arms out.

"You'd be surprised." Blaine laughed, looking at his sister.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"You're...not the first kids that the soldiers have tried to feed to the dragons." Blaine said.

"No, that would be us." Rachel sighed.

"Wait, what?" Sam looked up. Quinn caught his eye and they both turned to look at the 'savages' with blatant confusion.

"Oh good, story time." Blaine teased. Rachel laughed and looked at him.

"Well...once upon a time...ten years ago actually, Blaine and I were living rather comfortably..."

**_Story time! Story time! And Blaine and Rachel have entered! Who was it that saved Mercedes and what is her history with Coal? Will the soldiers discover the Anderson-Berry abode? The next chapter will focus entirely on Sam, Blaine, Rachel and Quinn, so enjoy! There may be some touches of my straight version of Blaine coming up, don't hate me for it! If I liked Kurt more or if Sam were gay, I would've kept Blaine gay. Unfortunately I've got some sick romantic plans for Sam already. I'm sorry! Review!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! So, nobody reviewed the last chapter, which kind of sucked. So, please review! It really does mean a lot to me, and I get a little jolt of excitement every time I get the notification, so pleasepleaseplease! This is also one of my favorite Chapters, though I do apologize that they keep getting longer and longer. Let me know if I should cut down on the Chapter lengths. **

**Now, what is the history of Rachel and Blaine? How will the others react to this news? And what's been happening back in Violetedge? **

**I don't own Glee! Read and review please!**

* * *

**The First Fugitives**

_ "Now, Blaine! Don't pull your sister's hair!" The old nurse hurried into the castle's nursery and grabbed the seven year old boy, pulling him away from his sister, who was happily flaunting a wooden sword. _

_ "He's just mad because I'm a better swordsman than he is." His older sister explained seriously. Blaine fumed and turned away, red-faced, crossing his arms and pouting. _

_ The kind old nurse looked at the children and laughed quietly to herself. _

_ "Swordswoman dear, and, well, being a swordsman isn't for everybody." She said. Blaine turned to look at her with a look of confusion._

_ "It isn't?"_

_ "Of course not! There are all sorts of weapons out there for you to choose from! It's never good to fight for no reason, but if you need to, it's always good to know how. Some people rely on long range weapons, like bows and arrows to get the job done. Some people even use them to survive in the wild." The nurse said, leading both children to the window of the nursery and allowing them to peek out at the Blackapple Woods that stood out in the distance of the castle. _

_ "Wow!" Blaine gawked._

_ "People actually live in the woods?" Rachel asked. "How cool!" _

_ "Oh please..." A cold female voice snapped and all three turned to the door where a tall, cold, dark-haired woman stood. "Slave, I need you to hem my robes for the meeting of the King's court tonight." _

_ "I'm busy watching your children right now, but I'll get on it as soon as the other Nurses come off their break." She promised. _

_ "Ugh, don't call them that. Just because I bore them doesn't mean I wanted to. I'm the King's right hand woman, I don't have time to mother a child. My mother didn't baby me and I turned out just fine." She said. "Of course, I killed her..." _

_ "Mrs. Fiona! It's not right to talk of murder in front of impressionable children, be they yours or not!" The Nurse protested. _

_ "Is it better to romanticise the idea of living life as a peasant." The woman snarled. "I'll talk however I please, wherever I please. These children owe me their lives, I owe them nothing." She turned and stormed away. _

_ "Nurse...why doesn't our momma play with us like you do?" Blaine asked._

_ "Because your momma is a very busy woman. She and your daddy are the King's main assistants, they're the third and fourth most powerful people in all the Kingdom!" _

_ "Don't lie to us Nurse." Rachel pouted. "She doesn't play with us because she doesn't love us." Even at a young age, Rachel was a smart girl. _

_ The old woman sighed and sat down in a rocking chair. The two children knelt down in front of her._

_ "Love is a funny thing kids...some people are fortunate enough to experience it, whether it be for a friend, a loved one, or...even a family member." She smiled and leaned down, tweaking both of their noses. They giggled and she sat back, sighing. "Some just aren't. Maybe that's why your parents had both of you! So you can give each other the love that they don't have time to offer." The Nurse suggested. _

_ Young and naive as they were, both Rachel and Blaine latched onto this idea immediately, and wrapped one another up in a tight, childish hug. _

_ "I love you big sister!" _

_ "I love you too little brother!" _

_ The Nurse smiled, genuinely touched at their youthful innocence. She looked out at the sun's position in the sky and stood again. _

_ "I should go and get to work on that dress, you two stay here while I go finish that up, okay?" She asked. They both nodded._

_ She smiled, satisfied, and ran off._

* * *

"So your parents are the King's right hand man and woman?" Sam asked. "I don't understand. How did you end up being chosen as sacrifices?"

"Be patient, you'll see..." Rachel sighed.

"Anyways, Rachel and I...we were active children, and once we were left alone, well...we tended to get bored very quickly, so we decided to walk around the castle..." Blaine started. He went on.

* * *

_"I'll race you to the throne room!" Rachel challenged._

_ "You're on!" Blaine grinned and took off. _

_ "Hey! I wasn't ready!" Rachel whined, chasing after him. They were evenly matched in height, and competitive nature, but it wasn't long before Rachel managed to pull up beside him as they raced through the hallways of the castle. _

_ They fought it out for a while, but eventually Blaine managed to hit the door first._

_ "Hah! I won!" He cheered. _

_ "The race was to the throne!" Rachel lied, racing past him._

_ "Hey!" He chased her across the room to the empty throne, but she got there well ahead of him. _

_ "_I_ won!" She corrected him, teasing him. He pouted and crossed his arms again. She paused and looked around suddenly, as if realizing where they are. "Blaine, we're not supposed to be in here..." She said. _

_ "Oh yeah..." Her brother looked around. _

_ "Come on." She ran past him again with the boundless energy that only a child could conjure up. He followed her, only to smack into her when she stopped short at the sound of the door opening. "Hide!" She hissed, shoving him behind one of the pillars that lined the room. _

_ The pillars were all covered by curtains, so the two of them ducked behind them and crouched down as people began to enter. _

_ Rachel crawled past her younger brother and peeked out to spy on the meeting that was occurring. They had lived in the castle their entire lives, but the King that was in power had only come to power a year or so before. Prior to that, he had just been an arrogant, harmless Prince. _

_ Several soldiers led the King and Queen into the throne room, and Blaine and Rachel's parents walked in after. Their father was a handsome brown haired man with a flawless complexion and not a hair out of place, with expressive dark eyes that both of his children had inherited. _

_ The King dismissed the soldiers and Rachel caught sight of four other children peeking in the doorway; a blonde boy, a blonde girl, a red haired boy, and a shorter dark haired girl. The soldiers shooed them away and they begrudgingly obliged. _

_ For a moment, Rachel felt proud that she got to experience something that the head soldiers in training didn't even get to see. _

_ Coal, Riker, Savannah and Ree; They were incredibly obnoxious children, constantly making fun of Blaine and Rachel because they were only there because of their parents, whereas Coal, Riker, Savannah and Ree had all been chosen because they were the strongest, the fastest, the bravest, the best. _

_ Blaine and Rachel had tried to get in on some of their training sessions, but they'd never been allowed, and soldiers had just laughed at them when they said that they wanted to be strong too. _

* * *

"That's awful!" Quinn remarked.

"Just wait. Life in that castle was not fun for us..." Blaine sighed.

"It was bearable at best...but it's about to get a lot worse." Rachel sighed, and then continued on.

* * *

_"The villagers refuse to take my rule seriously." The King smashed his hand on the table._

_ "Those ignorant peasants don't deserve a King as great as you, my Lord." Their father kissed up. _

_ "I'll say." The Queen said coldly; a blonde woman with pale skin and great beauty, she'd always gotten exactly as she wished. _

_ "I didn't kill my own father to be treated with this amount of disrespect." The King snapped. _

_ Blaine and Rachel stared at one another behind the curtain, fear and awe in their eyes. _

_ "It seems to me that you need to send them some sort of message. Show them that you are not a man to be trifled with." Fiona suggested coolly. _

_ "What do you propose?" The King asked. _

_ "Take away something that they love, that they treasure." _

_ "Yes..." Their father remarked. "And do it ritually! So that they never forget!" _

_ "Clyde...Fiona..." The Queen drawled. "You may be on to something..."_

_ "But what to take?" The King asked._

_ "I know..." Clyde said smoothly. "Villagers are weak, they grow attached to things that they perceive as innocent...take their children." _

_ "And do what with the awful things?" The Queen laughed. "I don't want any more children running around here than necessary; the laughter of your two alone nearly drives me insane." _

_ "Than kill them." Fiona said offhandedly. _

_ "Kill them?" The King asked. Blaine and Rachel stared at one another again, skin cold. _

_ "That's right. Take their children, and feed them to the dragons. That disposes of the bodies, sends a message to the peasants, and appeases the beasts. Its win, win, win, the only people who lose in this situation don't matter." Fiona shrugged. _

_ The King thought about this._

_ "That's a great idea. But where to start, which civilization should be the first to lose?" _

_ "Hmm..." Clyde sat up straighter. "Do you remember what a ruckus it caused when the people found out that you had killed your own daughter earlier this year?" _

_ "Of course I remember..." The King said darkly. _

_ "Right!" Fiona yelled, picking up on the idea immediately. "They were shocked that you would kill somebody so close to you. Now, you hate our children, but the people don't know that!" She said excitedly._

_ "Are you suggesting we feed your children to the dragons just to send a message to the people?" The Queen asked._

_ "That is exactly what we're suggesting." Clyde smiled, clearly proud oh himself for thinking up the idea._

_ "I knew there was a reason I liked you two." The Queen smiled. _

_ "Perfect, the plan is in place. Your children will be murdered at sunup tomorrow!" _

* * *

"I can't believe this..." Quinn whispered, resting her chin in her hands and looking up at the siblings with pity in her eyes.

"How did you escape?"

"We wouldn't have...if it weren't for our Nurse." Rachel said.

"After the meeting, Rachel and I snuck out and ran back to the nursery."

* * *

_"There you are! I was worried sick!" The Nurse snapped when they ran in. She took one look at their panic stricken faces and changed personas completely. "What's the matter? What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"_

_ "Nurse, they're going to kill us!" Rachel cried, grabbing at the old woman's robes. Blaine turned and sat in the corner and brought his legs into his chest to hide his crying face. _

_ "Who? Riker? Ree?" _

_ "The King..." Blaine whispered. _

_ They all looked up as the door burst open. _

_ "Guards, take them." Fiona said. Soldiers stepped into the room and fanned out. _

_ One approached Blaine and grabbed him, throwing him over his shoulder. The little boy cried out, flailing and trying to break free, but he was no match for the grown man holding him. _

_ "Rachel!" He yelled as the soldier took him from the room._

_ "Blaine!" She yelled, running for her brother. _

_ The Nurse caught Rachel and pushed her behind her. She stood strong as the soldier approached them both. _

_ "You can't do this to your own children!" The Nurse pleaded. "You're human!" _

_ "No, I'm better." Fiona said with a bored look. "Get out of the way, old woman, or I'll kill you too." She waved a hand and knocked the Nurse to the ground with magic. _

_ "Nurse!" Rachel shrieked as she was lifted into the air and tossed over the soldier's shoulder. The Nurse didn't rise and Rachel wailed, beating against the soldier's armour to no avail. _

* * *

"This is heartbreaking..." Quinn whispered.

"It gets worse." Blaine said, not making eye-contact with anybody.

"How?" Sam asked.

"You'll see." Rachel shook her head and picked up the story.

* * *

_Blaine and Rachel looked at one another through the bars that separated them. He reached his hand through and held her hand._

_ "I love you big sister..." He whispered._

_ "I love you too little brother..." She whispered back. _

_ "Would you kids shut up? I'm trying to sleep."Their guard looked at them under his hat. The keys were held loosely in his hands as he dozed off. _

_ Rachel and Blaine sat in their separate cells, in the dark, looking at one another with the light of the moon that shone through barred windows, illuminating the tears that ran down their faces. _

_ They both looked up as a soft glow began to light up the room. There was light descending the spiralling staircase into the castle's prison. They both gasped as their Nurse walked into view, a bruise on her face and a lantern in hand. _

_ She shushed them both as she approached._

_ "I'm going to get you out of here, okay! I promise!" She nodded determinedly._

_ "He has the keys!" Blaine pointed through the bars. _

_ The Nurse looked over her shoulder at the sleeping guard and slowly tip-toed over to him. She grabbed his hand and slowly began to unfurl his fat fingers from the key-ring. He grunted once and she froze, hardly daring to breath. _

_ Rachel and Blaine held one another's hands through the bars, staring out at the adults before them. Eventually the guard's breathing deepened again and the Nurse managed to free the keys. _

_ "Alright." She whispered; turning and rushing to Rachel's cell. She set down her lantern and inserted the master key into the large lock. She twisted and, with a loud clunk, the door opened. All three of them froze and turned to stare at the guard. _

_ He grunted once more, but didn't rise. _

_ The Nurse pulled the keys from the lock and rushed over to Blaine's door, accidentally kicking over her lantern. It rolled along the ground but didn't break as the Nurse lunged towards Blaine's door, slamming the key into his lock._

_ Unfortunately, the metal rim rolling along the cobblestones was louder than the clunky door._

_ "Hey!" The guard bellowed; standing and lunging at the Nurse. She screamed and turned around as he pinned her to the ground, the key hanging in the lock. _

_ "Please! They're just children!"_

_ "Yeah, and it's my ass on the line if they get out!" The man snarled. "I don't give a damned about some dumb children!" He spat. "You're dead now lady." _

_ He pulled back a fist and punched her hard. _

_ "Stop it!" Blaine called out, shaking the bars of his cell. _

_ The man laughed and pulled back his fist again._

_ That's when Rachel brought the lamp down on the back of his head. _

_ "Oh fuck..." The man swore, grabbing his head and swaying slightly. _

_ He collapsed off to the side and the Nurse wasted no time in shoving him off of her. Rachel flicked the key and the lock opened. Blaine pushed open his door and joined the others. _

_ "This way." The Nurse whispered, leading them back up the stairs. Without the light of the lamp to guide them, the going was slow, but they managed to make it out of the castle without getting caught. Soon enough, they were fugitives._

* * *

"So what happened to the Nurse?" Sam asked. "She's not here now...so...old age?"

"If only..." Rachel said bitterly.

"It was one week into our new fugitive-lifestyle. We were camped out on a riverbed, just south of Violetedge."

* * *

_"Now lay down and go to sleep, you're safe now." The Nurse said. "I know it's hard now, being fugitives, but one day, you'll be heroes, mark my words!"_

_ "Heroes? We're running from our parents who want us dead." Rachel deadpanned. _

_ "Yeah, don't you think that dream's a little far out of reach. We're just kids. Maybe a better dream would be to still be alive in two weeks." Blaine said bitterly. _

_ It broke the Nurse's heart to see children so young, so jaded. _

_"Hey now, listen to me! You don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams kids...remember that, always."_

_ "There!" A man's voice called out. _

_ "Run!" The Nurse yelled. _

_ Rachel and Blaine were up and running instantly, but they stopped when they realized that the Nurse wasn't with them. _

_ "Come on!" Blaine yelled._

_ "Hurry!" Rachel agreed._

_ "They're too close now kids, I'm sorry! Run! I'll keep them busy!" The Nurse yelled. Blaine tried to protest, but Rachel, crying and torn as she was, took charge and pulled him away. "Remember! You don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams!" The Nurse yelled after them. _

_ Rachel turned her head, just in time to see the silver tipped arrow that was mandatory for the King's soldier's whiz through the air. _

* * *

Rachel was crying as she finished the story. Blaine wrapped his arms around her, but he was tearing up too. "She was dead before she hit the ground..." Rachel whispered.

"We ran until we reached Violetedge, and we took refuge in the city." Blaine explained. "But overnight, it was overrun with soldiers. We had no choice but to descend into the forest, to live off the land. Since then...it's just been the two of us."

He nodded.

Quinn blinked back tears.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered.

"It's not your fault." Rachel said sadly.

"I'm still sorry." Quinn said.

Sam was shaking with anger. He was literally seething. Sam was a relatively easygoing person, he did what he could for people who needed him, and he tried to give everybody the benefit of the doubt. He was a _nice guy_, and very little got him mad.

But now he was furious.

"That's so wrong!" He yelled, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Yeah." Blaine barked a laugh. "Yeah, it is."

"Something has to change, this can't go on!" He said. There was a fire in his eyes, and his body was tense. Quinn stood with him, half out of fear that he would storm out into the woods to try and kill the soldiers himself.

"Well you go talk to the King and ask him to change, and let us know how that goes." Blaine sighed, leaning back against the wall. "He's got his system going, sacrificing lives to the dragons in exchange for their compliancy and power. The entire government system is corrupt; it would take a civil war to take him down."

"Then so be it!" Sam went on. "Somebody has to do something!"

"Who?" Rachel looked at him hopelessly. "Us?"

"We can't take on an army Sam." Quinn frowned. She was touched that he felt so strongly about this, but...it was just unrealistic.

"Well what do you think we should do?" Sam turned to her. "Keep running? Go into hiding for the rest of our lives?" He looked pointedly at Rachel and Blaine.

"What else _can _we do?" Blaine asked, shaking his head, clearly put off by the accusation that they'd chosen such a life for themselves.

"We can fight." Sam said, balling a fist and setting his jaw. "You're right Quinn, maybe we can't take on an army, but maybe...maybe we don't need to do it alone." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked.

"Look at the four of us. Look at Mercedes, and Bruce! That's six people, right there! There must be more out there, somewhere, who will help us! I'm sure of it!" He looked at them all seriously. "Listen, this King destroys lives. He kills people, to show that he can. How many other people are out there who have been affected by that? Who have had friends or family members ripped away from them, just so that they don't rebel."

"And you think that that very act, will make them want to rebel?" Blaine asked doubtfully.

"I'm sure of it!"

Quinn frowned and sat back down. Rachel and Blaine looked at one another with tired eyes.

"I'm sorry." Rachel shook her head and Blaine shook his in agreement. "We're safe here."

"Nobody took us in when we were running from the King. Why should we help those people now?" Blaine asked.

"You can sleep on the moss tonight; I'll set your ankle in the morning." Rachel said, and then walked out of the cave.

"She just needs to clear her head..." Blaine explained. "You're welcome to use my bed too. I think I need a walk."

Sam sighed and sank back into his chair, turning to look at Quinn.

"You're with me, aren't you?" He asked her.

She stayed silent for a long time, thinking it over. Eventually she looked up at him.

"Yes." She said. "I would rather fight for a world I want to live in, than hide trying to live in a world this wrong."

"Right." Sam nodded. "Then we're not leaving this burrow, until those two have agreed to join us."

"That may take some convincing."

"That's okay. We've got all the time in the world."

* * *

Blaine frowned to himself as he stepped out of their burrow. He crossed his arms, wandering aimlessly around one side of their burrow towards the trees that lined the clearing.

He let out a huff as he leaned back against the tree.

The night had been long, and eventful, and had brought up some memories that might've been better kept buried.

"You alright?" He asked aloud.

"How did you know I was here?" Rachel asked from the branches of the tree above him.

"We've been living together for ten years. You're getting predictable." He smiled tightly, looking up at her. She didn't meet his gaze, and instead stared up at the moon through the branches. "Are you alright?" He repeated.

"No." She frowned. "These two show up out of nowhere and act like it's the easiest thing in the world to get up and go fight a civil war. That's not something that you just decide to do!" She frowned.

"Maybe to them, it is." Blaine shrugged.

She glared at him.

"I'm not saying I agree with them. I don't. Four people don't make an army, and even if we did go out to recruit others, the bigger our group gets, the harder it'll be to hide. I'm just saying, if that idea makes them feel like they've got something worth living for, what's the harm in letting them believe it?"

Rachel sighed.

"It doesn't mean we'll join them." Blaine clarified. "I'd miss the animals around here too much." He laughed.

Rachel sighed again.

"We'll take care of them until his ankle is better, then they're leaving." She said sternly.

"Fine." Blaine nodded looking up at her.

She frowned again and looked down at him.

"What?" She asked.

"I love you big sister." He grinned.

"I love you too little brother." She rolled her eyes.

* * *

**An Army Is Born**

Rachel looked curiously at Sam as she wrapped his ankle in an old shirt that had long ago fallen apart. He confused her; he cared so much about the injustices that had been done to her and her brother, but he barely knew them.

"Thank you." Sam said, attempting to move his foot a little bit. He hadn't sprained it as badly as he'd initially thought, and he could move it with minimal pain already, but it was in no condition for travel just yet.

The night had passed uneventfully. Sam and Quinn had accepted the siblings' proposition, and had taken the beds of surprisingly comfortable moss. When they awoke the next morning, Blaine and Rachel were both milling about their kitchen, filling wooden bowls with fruit and dried meat.

They lived rather comfortably for homeless fugitives, Quinn thought, but she supposed that they'd had ten years to learn. That was an entire decade to grow as a household. They'd definitely worked out a system, a system that suited the two of them, and only them. This was a fact that she kept dwelling on as she guiltily ate their food.

Though Rachel assured her that, since they lived in the thick of the forest, they could go out and get more whenever they wanted, she still felt bad.

After breakfast, Blaine had suited up and said that he was going to go out and check the forest for Imperial soldiers. Quinn had hastily jumped up and offered to accompany him. When he asked why, she said that there was safety in numbers.

He'd saved their lives twice, almost before he knew their names. It seemed to her that they were pushing their luck. They continued to run into people ready and willing to risk their lives for them, and Quinn was determined not to let another one slip through her fingers, not after Brittney and Bruce and Mercedes were left in the dust. Besides...there was something about him that she liked...

Clearly intrigued by the prospect of a hunting partner, and admittedly intrigued by the idea of a girl who wasn't his sister, he'd tossed her a spare bow and a quiver of arrows and told her to follow him.

The cave was quiet in their absence, and it occurred to Sam that Rachel, despite living with her brother, was probably used to having alone time; time that he was currently imposing on.

"It's so quiet." Sam said. "Do you get left alone like this often?" He asked.

"Well it's better if one of us stays here to watch the burrow in case somebody or something stumbles in."

"Is it always you?"

"No, we take turns. I think he just doesn't know how to take the invasion of his space. It's not like he's claustrophobic, I mean, we live in a cave, he's just...confused, I guess."

"He brought us here!" Sam protested.

"Oh no! He's not regretting that! He's just...adjusting, I guess." She said. Sam nodded.

"I see."

* * *

Blaine watched Quinn curiously, barely hiding a smile behind his hand as she pulled the arrow back in her bow. It came undone and she let go of the string. The arrow hit a tree sideways and clattered to the ground.

He stifled a giggle and she turned to glare at him, though she was smiling too. She was a proud girl, but she was able to laugh at her own misfortune.

"Shut up." She laughed.

"No! That was good!" He laughed.

"Yeah, okay." She rolled her eyes.

"Have you ever used a weapon before?" He asked.

"I was trained in the art of stick fighting." She said seriously. He burst out laughing and she broke out into a grin. "I actually wasn't even good at that..."

"Well, you know, being a swordsman isn't for everybody." He said, quoting his Nurse.

"So I've heard, some people actually rely on long ranged weaponry." She laughed. "But I can't seem to get the hang of that either."

"Well you can't expect to know it right off the bat. Do you know how many times I tried to shoot a partridge and ended up shooting Rachel? Far too many." He laughed and Quinn burst out laughing with him.

"You shot your sister?"

"Only like twice! Three times...four...six..." He paused. "Okay, like, eight, but no more!"

"How did that happen?" She asked.

"The same way you just shot the tree, the arrow came undone and when I tried to shoot it, it...well, it shot low. On the plus side, she learned how to do first aid! She also learned not to walk in front of me." He nodded.

Quinn paused and turned back to him. She took a step back.

"After you!" She said.

"I'm better now!" He laughed, but stepped past her and began leading the way through the forest.

Quinn looked around as they walked. Maybe it had been the fact that she was running for her life the night before, but in daylight, the Violetedge Forest was kind of beautiful. The trees were all lush and green, and the vegetation was shiny and ripe.

Blaine reached up and plucked two apples off of a tree. He tossed one to Quinn and smiled, biting into his. He opened his satchel and began sifting through the fruit, dropping good ones into his bag, and leaving ones that had yet to come to fruition on the tree.

Quinn thanked him and bit into hers, looking around. The animals of the forest moved gracefully around them, not afraid in the least. A deer approached her and sniffed at the apple in her hand. She vaguely recognized it from the night before.

"Flower!" Blaine laughed as the deer sniffed the Cupid's Rose in her hair. It reached out to nibble on it and she gasped pulling back. Blaine approached and patted the deer on the neck. He put his forehead to the deer's forehead and looked it in the eyes. "Bad deer!" He laughed.

He opened his pack and handed Quinn another apple.

"Feed her, she loves them." He smiled.

"Okay!" Quinn grinned and approached the seemingly fearless deer. She held out the apple and Flower sniffed it and then grabbed it, biting half of it and dropping the rest to the forest floor. She bent down to retrieve it and Quinn began petting her neck. "Why isn't she afraid of me?"

"She trusts you. Animals are very good at judging a person's character. I don't think there's an animal in this forest that isn't familiar with Rachel and I, on this side of the river at least." He smiled and ruffled the tuft of fur on Flower's head.

"What's on the other side?" Quinn asked.

"That's where Rachel hunts." He said. "I would but...I don't have the constitution. I know we need to do it to survive, but it's too hard for me to kill an animal. I mean, I fish and hunt partridges and stuff, but it's different with animals like Flower." He said.

"I understand." She said. "Partridges are overpopulated anyways."

"Exactly, and there's never an absence of fish!" Blaine latched onto her justification. "Like, I don't hunt falcons, or eagles, or owls or anything like that. And I would never hunt a magical creature no matter how hungry I was! But...I do what I have to, to survive."

Flower perked up suddenly and tilted her head. She turned and leapt away and Blaine turned, a serious look in his eyes. He crouched down, pulling Quinn down next to him.

They both watched as a soldier approached a nearby tree and reached up to grab an apple. Pulling on the apple disturbed a hornet's nest, and a lone bug flew out, almost as a warning. The soldier swatted it away and removed his helmet, biting into the apple.

"Wanna have some fun?" Blaine whispered in Quinn's ear. She looked at him in confusion. "See the hornet's nest?" He asked.

"Yeah..." She said, looking at it.

"Shoot it." He grinned, placing his hands on her shoulder.

"What?" She gasped and then turned to look at it. "Oh my God, you do it!"

"No, it's good practice! How're you going to take down the king if you can't shoot a bow?" He asked her teasingly.

"Does that mean you'll help us?" She asked.

"No, that means I'll teach you. Now raise your bow and notch your arrow like this." He demonstrated, moving her arms into the right position. "Good! Now aim a little above where you're shooting to account for the arc. These trees block out most wind, so you won't have to worry about that."

Quinn pointed her arrow at the branch just above the nest, squinting one eye closed and parting her lips slightly as she focused.

"Good!" Blaine whispered excitedly. "Now let go!"

She did.

The arrow soared through the air and hit the hornet's nest dead on. Not only did it hit, but it dislodged it. Blaine and Quinn watched as it fell onto the soldier's head and erupted into activity.

The soldier screamed and threw his apple through the air, grabbing the nest and throwing it off of his head. The hornets were not impressed and culminated upon him. He took off into the forest, screaming bloody murder.

Blaine and Quinn both burst out into hysterical laughter as Flower approached again and began to nibble on the man's abandoned apple.

"Good shot Quinn Fabray!" Blaine gasped out. "I think we've found your talent!"

She smiled at him.

He smiled back.

And two hearts skipped a beat.

* * *

Rachel's wrapping job on his ankle was remarkable. She'd used an old shirt, so it was colored strangely, but it looked as official as the job he'd had done when he'd sprained it in Ostvale as a child.

It wasn't long after that that Quinn and Blaine came home with a satchel full of fruit, laughing about some ambush on a soldier. They recounted the tale and all four of them had burst into fresh hysterics.

As he told the story, Blaine couldn't help but enjoy the environment that Quinn and Sam had brought to their home. He and Rachel had a fantastic relationship, and they laughed often, but...with Quinn and Sam, he almost felt like their family had been completed. His eyes lingered on Quinn...she was special...

He knew, of course, that he shouldn't think that way, because they'd be leaving shortly enough anyways, but...he didn't see anything wrong with enjoying it while it lasted. Eventually, yes, he'd go back to his life with Rachel and Flower and the other forest creatures, but for now, some human contact would do them both some good. Some friendship...some love...

The day was spent amicably. Quinn taught Rachel how to make the simplest of breads, Blaine showed Quinn some tips on archery, and Sam and Rachel sparred to see who was a better fighter. Rachel won, but Sam put up a surprising fight for somebody who'd just learned how to wield a stick, bad ankle and all!

That night, they all went to bed happy, and Rachel and Blaine found themselves enjoying the whole, company thing. Soon enough, however, after another day had passed, they both began to grow distrustful of their houseguests.

All they knew of the world was hateful. Nobody had helped them when they needed it most, and they lived a life of fear and hopelessness. It didn't make sense to either of them that somebody would want to associate with them. Sam's ankle was healing at a remarkable speed, and he was already moving up and around. Rachel knew that he was good enough to leave, they all did, and so, on the third night, their new relationship came to a boiling point.

Blaine plucked an apple from a branch above his head and took a bite. He glanced curiously over his shoulder at Quinn who was stubbornly following him through the forest. He paused so she could catch up.

"Why are you still following me?" He asked her. She scowled and tried to pluck leaves and twigs out of her hair. She pulled out a large spider and screamed flailing her hand around manically. "Hold still!" Blaine swallowed the apple, grabbed her arm and flicked the arachnid off.

"Thank you." She huffed. "I'm following you because I don't want you to be alone." She said simply.

"I've been alone for seventeen years." He laughed.

* * *

"-Eighteen years." Rachel rolled her eyes, glancing over her shoulder at Sam. "I'm used to it."

"But you don't have to be anymore!" Sam protested, sitting down in a rickety wooden chair that one of the siblings must have built.

"Who says we don't want to be?" She retorted, dropping the stick that she'd been whittling and turning to face him.

"You live in a hole in the ground. How can you be happy like this?" He asked.

* * *

"Rachel and I are fine with our way of life. I know you want me to join your little resistance, but my parents were bad enough the first time around. I'm not really in the mood for a family reunion." He laughed before glancing up at the moonlit sky.

"Than why don't you prove to them that you're stronger than they thought?" Quinn grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around.

He paused and swallowed deeply.

"Because...what if..."

* * *

"What if I'm _not _stronger?" Rachel asked, with tears in her eyes. She stood up and began to march towards the opening of their cave.

"You are. I know you are!" Sam jumped to his feet and ran after her.

She paused just outside the entrance to their home and looked up at the sky.

"How would you know that? We just met three days ago!" She said.

"I stuck around didn't I? I told you, I'm not leaving until you agree to come with us?"

"And if I never agree?"

* * *

"Than you'd better get used to not being alone." Quinn smiled at him, gently touching his arm.

He looked at her, eyes glinting in the starry light.

"You really care don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Quinn...the world out there...I haven't been in it in years." Blaine sighed and blinked back tears. "What if...I don't know...What if-"

* * *

"-it kills us? We're happy here; we don't know how to live out there. That world changes people Sam... Our parents...they were good people once upon a time."

"Rachel..." Sam grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes.

* * *

"Blaine!" Quinn grabbed him and spun him around. "If you don't think this world has what it takes to make you happy-"

* * *

"-Then I promise you, I'll change the world because I'm not going to let it change you."

"But why?" Rachel asked him. Sam smiled at her.

"Because you deserve it."

"How can you believe that, when my own parents didn't?" She asked, looking at him. A tear leaked down her face.

"Maybe they didn't know where to look."

* * *

"Or maybe they weren't looking hard enough." Quinn smiled and wiped a tear from his face. Blaine smiled at her and looked back up at the sky as a bright light caught his gaze.

"Hey...isn't that-?"

* * *

"-Halley's Comet?" Rachel asked.

"I knew tonight was special." Sam smiled at her. She smiled back. "So what do you say?"

"You know how hard this is, right...?" She paused and then looked back up into the sky. "They ruined my life. How am I supposed to willingly find them again?"

"They didn't ruin your life." Sam said.

* * *

"They ruined theirs. Your life is your own, they can't touch that. Use your anger, Blaine, fight back." Quinn stared at him, inspired.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Shinedown: Second Chance-**

He paused and looked at the apple in his hands.

"I'm not angry." He said. "Not anymore. I would've been miserable living there anyways. I guess you could say they gave me a second chance."

He dropped the apple and locked his gaze with Quinn's.

_"My eyes are open wide..." _ He sang softly. _"By the way, I made it through the day." _

She smiled, took his hand and nodded encouragingly for him to continue.

_"I watched the world outside..." _He glanced around at the forest around them. _"By the way, I'm leaving out today..." _He trailed off.

* * *

_"I just saw Halley's comet!" _Rachel belted. _"She waved, said 'why you always running in place?'"_

Sam grinned as she grabbed his hands and pulled him away from their cave. Rachel laughed, letting the moon shine upon her flawless skin.

_"Even the man in the moon disappeared, somewhere in the stratosphere!" _She sang as they broke through the tree line on the edge of a silvery glistening river.

* * *

_"Tell me mother; tell my father, I've done the best I can!" _Blaine leapt onto a tree, planting his feet on a knot in the wood and hanging from the trunk by one hand. _"To make them realize, this is my life! I hope they understand!"_

He spun around the tree and hopped off, grabbing both of Quinn's hands and running backwards through the woods.

_"I'm not angry! I'm just sayin', sometimes goodbye is a second chance!" _He grinned and tumbled backwards onto a large grassy hill. Quinn flipped over his head and soon both of them were rolling down the moonlit hill.

* * *

_"Please don't cry one tear for me! I'm not afraid, of what I have to say." _Rachel waded into the water, leading Sam in with her, the roar of a waterfall downstream in their ears. _"This is my one and only voice, so listen close, it's only for today."_

She dove backwards into the current, submerging Sam with her, laughing.

* * *

Blaine and Quinn rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill and stared up into the sky, feeling the grass brush against the backs of their necks.

_"I just saw Halley's comet, she waved," _Blaine sang. _"Said 'why you always running in place?'"_

Quinn turned her head to watch him as he sang; he looked at her and smiled.

_"Even the man in the Moon disappeared, somewhere in the stratosphere!" _ He grinned before jumping to his feet, grabbing her hand, and taking off again.

* * *

Rachel burst out of the river just ahead of where the water plummeted over the edge and climbed atop a large boulder, kneeling down as Sam stood in the river, leaning against the rock below her.

_"Tell my mother, tell my father, I've done the best I can!" _She sang. He nodded. _"To make them realize, this is my life! I hope they understand!" _

She stood up slowly, looking up towards the moon.

_"I'm not angry, I'm just saying... sometimes goodbye is a second chance!" _She wailed, raising her arms and squinting her eyes closed as she belted.

* * *

Blaine leapt at another tree and hastily began to scale it, Quinn clambering up behind him.

_"Here's my chance!" _He sang as he reached the top and looked out at the landscape. He caught sight of the castle's high pillars far off in the distance. He opened his mouth just as far across the forest, Rachel joined him.

_"This is my chance!" _As they held the note, they both opened their arms and allowed themselves to fall backwards.

Blaine grabbed a large tree branch, swung around it and dropped to his feet on the ground below.

Rachel felt the air rush past her as she freefell from the waterfall. She crashed into the water and rose grinning to find Sam had jumped in after her.

_"Tell my mother, tell my father!" _They both sang as they turned and walked back towards their homes with Quinn and Sam in tow. _"I've done the best I can!" _

Rachel stepped onto the riverbed, striding purposefully forwards.

_"To make them realize, this is my life! I hope they understand!" _

Blaine ducked under a tree branch and marched determinedly.

_"I'm not angry, I'm just saying..." _They both broke from the tree line into the small clearing where their home rested. They looked at one another, locking eyes. _"Sometimes goodbye is a second chance."_

_ "Sometimes goodbye is a second chance..." _They crossed to one another, tears in their eyes. They collided in a strong hug and immediately began to decrescendo. _"Sometimes goodbye is a second chance..." _They whispered.

"I'm going with them." Blaine said, pulling back.

"Me too." Rachel laughed.

Quinn approached Sam and he smiled at her.

"Good going Quinn Fabray, did you seduce him with your feminine wiles?" He teased.

"No..." She smiled softly. "No, I just...I told him the truth."

"The truth is powerful that way." He said. They watched as Rachel and Blaine hugged once more and moved into their burrow. They followed them inside, and watched as they began to fill their bags with what little belongings they had.

"This furniture is going to make some bear family, very happy." Blaine said.

"What about those three bears that used to live nearby?" Rachel suggested. "The Papa, Mama and Baby, remember? We should offer it to them; they're smart enough to learn how to use it. We can have Flower go and tip them off!"

"Definitely! I'll go call her!" He fastened his bag and jogged out of the cave and into the darkness of the woods.

He walked for a few minutes until he reached the river's edge where he found his friend drinking happily from the spring.

"Hey!" He said, kneeling down next to her. He sat in silence for quite some time, just looking at her. Flower had been his only friend for so long; he was going to miss her. "I'm going to be leaving for a while..." He said.

Flower turned to look at him, understanding in her eyes. He knew animals were smarter than most people gave them credit for.

"I'll come back someday, I promise." He smiled at her. "Can you tell the three bears that our cave is up for rent? Furniture included!" He laughed. Flower nodded gracefully and he smiled at her, stroking her nose. "I'm gonna miss you."

She nuzzled him and then turned and walked away into the forest. He looked after her for a moment before she reappeared, a flower in her mouth. She dropped it in his lap and he picked it up.

"Cupid's Rose?" He laughed. "Where did you find this?" He asked.

She tilted her head in the direction of the forest.

"Well duh..." He paused. "I love you too." He nuzzled the tuft of hair on top of her head one last time and then stood. "I'll see you again someday, I promise...And remember...you don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams. I don't know what you wish for, because you're a deer and I'm not, but fight for it. Alright? Remember that..." He nodded firmly.

She nodded.

"Good. I'll remember too. And I'll keep this flower with me at all times, so I don't forget you! I wish you had something to remember me by..." he paused. "I know!" He reached up and undid the clasp of his hat. He set it atop Flower's head and pulled the strap under her chin, she nuzzled him happily and he hugged her one last time. "See ya later Flower." He kissed her face, and walked away.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Quinn asked, standing outside of the cave and peering into the darkness.

"He's just saying goodbye." Rachel smiled, leaning against it. Almost on cue, Blaine walked into the clearing.

"Sorry, you know Flower, she never shuts up." He laughed. Rachel rolled her eyes but smiled at her brother. "So what's the plan?"

"We're heading back to Violetedge, to recruit some of the others, namely my employer; Bruce, and a merchant girl who lives there named Mercedes." Sam said.

"Alright, sounds good." He turned and walked off into the forest. Sam and Quinn followed closely behind. Rachel took one last look at her home before she walked off after them.

* * *

**A Loaded Gun In Hope's Graveyard**

"It should be nearby!" Sam called back excitedly as he ducked around another tree. Quinn followed closely behind him, peering out, looking for a glimpse of one of the buildings. Rachel, who was at the back, noticed her brother starting to slow down, and she knew why.

"You can smell it, can't you?" She said. He turned to face her, eyes grave.

"The smoke? Yeah, for a while now...what do we do? They're so excited..."

"I don't know." She said honestly. "I don't think there's anything we can do...they'll find out eventually..."

"You don't think it could just be a campfire?" Blaine asked hopefully, but even he didn't have any faith in that.

"Nope." Rachel said flatly. "A campfire wouldn't give off this much smoke... Violetedge has been-"

* * *

"-torched to the ground..." Quinn whispered, staring out at the ruins of the village.

Sam's jaw dropped as he took in the awful scene. There was still smoke rising from the blackened bones of houses and businesses that had once sheltered people. Now there wasn't a soul in sight, Imperial or otherwise.

"What happened? We were only gone for three days..." Sam whispered.

"I have a few guesses." Rachel said bitterly, stepping out of the woods, Blaine at her side. They looked around at the wreckage with an unsurprised look.

"You knew?" He asked.

"We guessed..." Blaine said guiltily. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Quinn said, not taking her eyes off the ashes.

"I'm still sorry." He frowned.

The entire village had been leveled. From where they were standing, they could see for miles in all directions, the only things that stood in their way were amethyst crystals and the occasional sturdy support beam that had stayed strong, even as the building around it crumpled to the ground.

Blaine walked slowly to the remains of the bar and reached out, feeling the wreckage. He closed his eyes and withdrew his hand, running it through his hair.

"The wood is still warm, the fire died out less than twenty-four hours ago. They had to have set it and left." He said.

"But that means people got out, right?" Quinn asked.

"Right. An untreated fire is dangerous; the soldiers wouldn't stay to make sure people died, if only to save themselves!" Rachel agreed, comforting the light haired girl.

To herself, she added that the soldiers were trained murderers, and had the weapons to do it. If they'd wanted people dead, they'd probably been killed long before the blaze was set.

Sam walked, as if in a trance, to a large crystal that was erected nearby. He reached out a hand to touch it, wiping ash from its surface and looking to its core. It was dark, and cold to the touch. There was no light...no hope, in this crystal.

If the legend of the amethyst was true...they were looking at more than just charred wood. They were looking at a graveyard. This sight had bore witness to the death of hope.

"We should look around." Sam said, turning around. "There might be survivors in the wreckage, and we might be able to salvage some supplies."

"You're right. Anything wooden or cloth would've burned up, but there might be metal or glass still intact." Rachel nodded. "Let's split up." She turned to head into the thick of town when Quinn stopped her.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Splitting up, I mean? What if the soldiers come back?"

"They won't, there's nothing here for them now." Blaine said, adjusting his bag. "They came for you two, and as far as they know, you're gone."

Quinn still looked uneasy.

"Let's at least go in pairs." Quinn said.

"Alright, come on, you can teach me more about bread!" Rachel smiled and grabbed Quinn's hand, pulling her away. Sam and Blaine looked at one another and shrugged turning and walking off in the other direction.

* * *

"Umm...then there's also just whole wheat, which is always the best for you, and it's surprisingly easy to find in the wild." Quinn said, nodding.

"Really?" Rachel asked as she knelt down and lifted up part of a burned down roof. She looked beneath it and sifted through some ash, only to find the charred remains of a cookbook cover.

She sighed and tossed it back.

"Yeah! The ingredients to make bread are actually pretty easy to find in the wild, it's just the time and the process that are hard. It's probably easier to live off of fruit and dried meat, but you definitely could've had bread back in your cave set up!"

"Perfect! We literally _just _left!" Rachel laughed.

"Oh yeah..." Quinn cringed. "Sorry."

"That's okay!" Rachel laughed. "I was just kidding."

Quinn paused suddenly and turned to look curiously at a nearby structure. She looked around at the way the street was mapped out, and realized that there was something distinctly familiar about the layout.

"Do you hear that?" She asked suddenly. Rachel turned, eyebrows raised in curiosity. She pursed her lips and listened. She hadn't heard it amongst the noises she'd been making sifting through the wood, but as she listened now, she could definitely make it out.

Quinn turned and began to run towards the structure.

She knew why the street looked so familiar, and she knew exactly where she was upon it. This was the first street they'd happened upon four days ago, and that building, from which a strangled, gasping cough was escaping, was the inn.

She reached the rubbish and the noise increased in volume. She began to shovel things out of the way, staining her hands black as she did.

"Quinn! Calm down!" Rachel said worriedly, jogging up behind her.

"There's somebody in here!" Quinn said.

Rachel pursed her lips worriedly and nodded, getting to work next to her.

Quinn paused and listened for the cough again and moved to the side, ankle deep in soot. She bent down and grabbed at a warm, but intact heavy structure. She realized with some surprise, that it was the washtub.

"Help me with this!" She said. Rachel approached her and grabbed the edge. "On three. One, two, three!"

They flipped the tub. Quinn looked down and gasped.

"Sam!" She screamed.

* * *

"Ahah!" Sam yelled, pulling some cutlery from a caved in china cabinet that was now buried in the remains of a staircase. "There are five spoons, a butcher's knife and a kitchen knife." He said.

"Sweet!" Blaine grinned, holding up a metal wash-board. "I found...this thing, whatever it is."

"Ah yes! You use it to clean your clothes!" Sam grinned. "Put it in your bag, we won't have to live caked in dirt!"

"I've pretty much lived that way for ten years now." Blaine laughed. "Seriously though, you know what works really well when you want to scrape dirt off of your clothing? Pinecones!"

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Yep!" Blaine nodded. "You lay your clothing against a rock in the river and scrub at the dirt with a pinecone, and it comes right off. You can use pine-needles too, and they work better and hurt the cloth less, but they tend to fall apart."

"Interesting." Sam nodded. "I never thought of that."

Blaine tapped his head. "Sometimes it pays to be a 'savage'." He said.

"Oh yeah, how did you get that name?" Sam asked. "Like, when did the village people start avoiding you like the plague?" He asked.

Blaine widened his eyes and sat down, raising his hands for emphasis. "Okay! It's all because of this stupid girl in a red cape that just showed up one day!" He said. "It was getting late, so I walked up to her and told her that she should be careful, because the wolves liked to come out at night. She said that she'd handled a wolf before, and told me this bullshit story about being eaten with her grandmother and then rescued by a wood cutter."

"What?" Sam asked incredulously.

"I know!" Blaine yelled. "Anyways, I told her that wolves around here like to chew their food before they eat it, and she says 'well so do I' stomped on my foot, grabbed my basket, and raced off with it!"

"Wait, she stole your food?" Sam asked.

"Yeah!" Blaine nodded. "So, obviously I chased after her, I mean, we're not exactly in much of a position to by giving away our food."

Sam looked shiftily from side-to-side, grinning guiltily.

"Well you guys earned your keep! You helped out while you were there, I mean, I foraged more with Quinn in three days than I normally would have in two weeks."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyways, go on with your story!" Sam prompted.

"Well, I didn't want to just tackle her outright, so I just kept pace for a while, yelling for her to give it back before she wandered too far off the trail. I guess Rachel heard me yelling because she walked out of the brush right in front of the little girl, grabbed the basket and handed it back to me." He said.

"What?" Sam burst out laughing.

"Yeah! Then the girl started, like, bawling because she got scared and fell and then didn't know which way to go, so Rachel pointed her in the right direction, and then the girl stomped on her foot and ran away. So I threw a berry at the back of her head. From that day onward, the villagers have avoided our area like the plague."

"Wow." Sam laughed. "People are stup-"

"Sam!" Quinn's screech echoed across the town and he shot up, knives in hand. He took off across the town, running through houses in the direction of his best friend's screaming.

Eventually she stopped and he jumped out into the middle of the street. Blaine arrived moments later, tucking the spoons into his pack. They looked up as Rachel called out to them.

"Over here! We found someone!" She yelled.

Sam recognized the inn as he approached it, and he saw Quinn kneeling down in front of somebody. She was positioned in such a way that he couldn't see the person's face until he was almost on top of him, but when he finally did, his heart stopped.

"Bruce?" Sam whispered.

"Hey kid..."

Bruce looked like hell. His skin was pasty, and he was bleeding from a gash in his forehead. One arm hung limply at his side, soaked in blood, though it was clear that he'd tried to make a tourniquet from a towel. Despite all of this, his eyes lit up at the sight of Sam and Quinn.

"They didn't catch you..." He whispered.

Rachel and Blaine gave the three of them some space, holding hands and overlooking the emotional scene in front of them.

"No...No they didn't." Sam said, tears in his eyes. He and Quinn crouched down on either side of the large man and Sam grabbed his hand. "We got away."

"That's good...I tried to fight 'em off...Didn't go so well..." He whispered.

"What happened?" Quinn asked.

With a huge effort, the large man sat up. Sam supported his back and looked at him with concern. Bruce coughed slightly, covering his mouth. When he pulled his hand away, his palm was red.

"When the soldiers showed up, I ran here to find you. That blonde one, Coal, he followed me. When you weren't here, he got mad and attacked. Stabbed me..." Bruce glared at the ground resentfully. "He left after that, the other two showed up saying that they'd captured some black girl."

"Mercedes..." Quinn whispered; eyes wide.

"Yeah, that was her name..." Bruce grunted. "They left and I crawled down here to hide. The soldiers were everywhere; people were screaming and running out of town. Nobody knew where you were, so they torched the village to the ground trying to flush you out, I'm assuming."

"We weren't in town..." Sam explained, swallowing deeply.

"I guessed as much...where did you go?" Bruce asked. He looked over Sam's shoulder at Rachel and Blaine. "Who are they?"

"We escaped, into the woods." Sam said. "They found us, saved us. We owe them our lives." He said.

"They a couple?" Bruce asked.

"No, they're siblings." Sam laughed. "Why?"

"One for each of you then!" Bruce joked, winking teasingly, but then he doubled over coughing again. "Sam, listen to me..." Bruce turned to him, wiping blood onto his pant leg.

"Yeah?"

"You were the best apprentice I've ever had...I want you to have this." He reached for his belt and drew his sword. The sword that he'd told them was only ever to be touched by a hero.

Sam shook his head in refusal.

"No, you keep it. You're going to be fine." Sam said.

Quinn nodded, blinking back tears, but she knew...she knew that Bruce was past the point of no return. They were losing him.

Bruce chuckled and grabbed Sam's wrist, forcing the hilt of the magnificent weapon into his hand.

"I told you only a true hero could wield this sword..." Bruce said. "Take it."

Sam looked at it; the color of the blade was almost a fiery red in the smoky atmosphere. The dark blue leather hilt was cold to the touch. He rubbed his fingers along the yellow cord, and the five purple crystals.

Sam paused.

"These crystals..."

"Are from Violetedge, yes." Bruce said. "Find hope and those will shine for you. I know you'll be great someday."

Suddenly the note in Sam's pocket felt ridiculously heavy.

Bruce fell silent for a moment, looking at his apprentice.

"You really do look like your father..." Bruce's eyes began to water and he doubled over in another coughing fit. He looked up at Sam once more. "The answers you're looking for are at Spirit's Spring...look after your friends, kid, they're all you've got now. And remember, no matter how great you get, you'll always be the Blacksmith's Apprentice."

Bruce closed his eyes one last time...and never opened them again.

Quinn burst into tears and ran off into the town.

"I'll get her." Rachel said, running off after the other girl.

Blaine watched silently as Sam slowly rose to his feet and walked out of the burned and broken inn. He passed by silently, hands in his pockets, and walked out.

* * *

Rachel sat down gently behind Quinn, who was crouched on the ground, sobbing into her hands.

"That was your first dead body, wasn't it?" Rachel asked.

"The first I cared about." Quinn said. "Your brother killed a soldier right in front of me...but...I was so scared, that I guess it didn't register."

"It'll be okay." Rachel said. "When my Nurse died, I felt so alone, but you're not."

Quinn sniffled and nodded, looking up at her.

"You've got us, right?" Rachel smiled. "That man wouldn't want you to dwell on this." She said.

Quinn was silent for a moment.

"You're right." She eventually decided. "He'd probably yell at me." She laughed, Rachel laughed with her.

They both looked up as a loud clang echoed through the town. Rachel and Quinn locked eyes.

"We're not alone here..." Rachel whispered.

She cursed herself for not paying more attention.

"Come on, let's get lost."

* * *

Blaine found Sam again leaning against a large crystal on the outskirts of town, tearfully reading a crumpled up piece of paper.

Silently, he sat down next to him.

"What's that?" He asked.

Sam didn't say anything, and Blaine didn't press the issue. He knew that Sam had experienced loss, and he wasn't stupid enough to force him into talking about it. But Blaine knew, more than anybody that sometimes it was just as good to have somebody there who would listen, even if you weren't saying anything...

They sat in silence for a long time, Sam's eyes tracing the scrawling letters on the paper. Eventually, he spoke.

"I never knew my parents." He said.

Blaine sat up and turned to face him.

"Okay."

"I was raised by a woman who found me at her front door one day. With this." He waved the paper in the air and then returned it to his pocket, leaning his head against the crystal. "It says I'll be great someday."

"I don't doubt that." Blaine said.

Sam rolled his eyes.

"I never knew why they gave me up. I still don't...Before I left Ostvale, I'd never had any connection to them. Then I found out that Bruce knew my father. Now he's dead, and I'm connectionless again. I'm so confused."

"I wonder...I wonder if it's better than being disappointed." Blaine offered.

Sam shook his head.

"No, at least then I'd know the truth. If my father were some raging mass-murdering lunatic, then I'd learn to accept that."

"You'd be surprised." Blaine laughed.

"Oh yeah...no offense." Sam said awkwardly. Blaine shook his head and waved it off. "It's the uncertainty that I hate." Sam continued.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out someday." Blaine said, smiling encouragingly. "I think we've all got a lot of soul searching to do on this journey."

Sam sighed.

"Come on." Blaine hopped to his feet. "We should go."

"What's the point?" Sam asked, looking up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want you getting hurt for me, just like Bruce...or Mercedes...It's safer if you just stay here, you were right, this is a dumb idea." Sam shook his head, stood up and walked past him. Blaine turned and watched as he walked away.

"Hey!" Blaine yelled.

Sam paused and turned.

"You're wrong." Blaine said, face stern.

"Huh?"

"You're wrong." Blaine said, approaching him. "This is _not _a dumb idea. We`ve all got something to fight for Sam, and we`re not just fighting for you. You were just the trigger to a loaded gun, whose eruption was way overdue."

Sam swallowed sadly.

"But-"

"No, I know it's confusing. I get that. Believe me, I've spent many nights in those woods being _confused, _and I know it seems hopeless. We're just four kids, how can we change the world?"

He fell silent for a moment until Sam caught his eye.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Rob Thomas: Someday-**

"But you don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams Sam." Blaine said firmly. "And someday...we'll figure all this out...I know it."

"I just want to go home..." Sam whispered, turning away.

Blaine frowned and looked away. He took a deep breath, looked back at Sam, and started to sing.

_"You can go." _He sang. _"You can start all over again, you can try to find a way to make another day go by." _

Sam turned to face him, confused.

_"You can hide." _Blaine smiled at him, shrugging. _"Hold all your feelings inside. You can try to carry on when all you wanna do is cry..." _

Slowly, Blaine began to walk towards the taller boy.

_"And maybe, someday, we'll figure all this out!" _He gestured around to the wreckage around them. _"Try to put an end to all our doubt, try to find a way to make things better now and maybe, someday," _He extended his arms, gesturing to the world around them._ "We'll live our lives out loud, we'll be better off somehow. Someday." _

Blaine nodded and Sam opened his mouth to speak.

Blaine shook his head and cut him off.

_"Now wait." _He sang, raising a hand. _"And try to find another mistake. If you throw it all away, then maybe you can change your mind." _

He grabbed Sam's hand and began to lead him back to the village limits.

_"You can run!" _Blaine sang, speeding up. _"And when everything is over and done, you can shine a little light on everything around you. Man it's good to be someone." _

They reached the crystal and Blaine gestured off, away from the village.

_"And maybe someday we'll figure all this out, try to put an end to all our doubt, try to find a way to make things better now." _He let go of Sam's hand and took a step back. _"And maybe, someday, we'll live our lives out loud, we'll be better off somehow...someday." _

Sam turned to face him and Blaine stared at him expectantly.

_"And I don't want to wait! I just want to know! I just wanna hear you tell me so." _Blaine sang. _"Give it to me straight, tell it to me slow." _

Sam turned to look out at the meadows and the crystals, the sunlight and the birds flying high in the sky, the forest edges peppered with brightly colored flowers. He opened his mouth to sing.

_"Cause maybe someday...we'll figure all this out." _Sam nodded, smiling and blinking back tears. _"We'll put an end to all our doubt...try to find a way to just feel better now and, maybe someday, we'll live our lives out loud, we'll be better off somehow...someday..." _

Blaine approached him again, looking out at the beauty of nature with him.

_"Well sometimes, we don't, really notice...just how good it can get." _They sang together. _"So maybe we should, start all over, start all over again." _

Blaine glanced over his shoulder and smiled, nudging Sam. They turned to face the street where Rachel and Quinn were slowly walking towards them, smiling.

_"Cause sometimes we don't really notice, just how good it can get." _The four of them sang. _"So maybe we should, start all over, start all over again." _

Sam nodded, and pulled Blaine in for a hug, gesturing for Rachel and Quinn to join in as they approached. As he held his new friends, he felt that Blaine was right. Maybe they would figure it out someday, and until then, maybe he should just feel grateful for how lucky he'd been, to meet such wonderful people, in such a bitter world.

"We should get going." Blaine said, laughing as they split apart.

"Where?" Quinn asked.

"I have an idea." Sam said, smiling.

"Good, because I'm pretty sure there's somebody else creeping around through the village...the faster we leave the better." Rachel said, looking back towards the wreckage.

"I thought you said the soldiers had nothing left here." Quinn said, almost accusingly.

"Bruce was here though, they would've expected you two to come back and look for him. Come on, let's get going." Blaine turned and marched off out of town, with Sam at his side.

Rachel nodded and hurried after them, but Quinn stared back into the smoke for a moment too long.

She didn't know it, but that moment she'd wasted standing at the entrance to the ruined village had been just long enough for her to be caught. As she turned away, a figure rushed back into the smoke to alert their team.

* * *

**So there you go! Blaine and Rachel are the parents of the King's main underlings! They lost their Nurse when they were young, and have been living alone ever since! Mercedes was rescued, but by who? Bruce is dead, but Sam is determined to avenge everybody wronged by the King. With only Quinn, Blaine and Rachel at his side, he has to seek out more soldiers, but it seems that he has a plan! **

**Next Chapter introduces my all time favorite character from Glee ever! And maybe even a return visit to a place better left alone...**

**REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hello everybody! Sorry it's been almost a week since my last update, but with Christmas, I didn't have the time I normally do. Either way, this is the next chapter, introducing my favourite character in the whole show! A few of you are clearly anticipating the Samchel action, and there is some in this chapter for sure! BUT I really want to caution you guys that this isn't just a Samchel fic. Every character IS going to have FULL story lines of their own. Yes, Sam and Rachel are the largest characters, but not by a huge amount. Blaine and Quinn and the others are all very large as well, and will go through ups and downs as characters as the story progresses. Sam and Rachel may start to fall for one another, but with everything going around, it's hard to say WHEN they'll make it official. So, hopefully that doesn't discourage you from reading this, but don't say I didn't warn you! _  
**

**_I don't own Glee. :P_**

**_ watch?v=HhZ1BdMtw_Q_**

* * *

**The Farmer's Daughter**

"Alright, alright! I've got one!" Rachel said, laughing. "If you could be any storybook character, who would you be, and why?" She looked around at her companions as they walked.

"Ooh, that's a good one..." Blaine mumbled.

"I know." Quinn said. "I'd be Little Red Riding Hood."

"Surprisingly, she is far less charming in person than she is on paper!" Blaine noted loudly. Sam laughed.

"Oh yeah! She was the one who stomped on your foot when you tried to warn her away from the wolves!"

"Oh yeah!" Rachel nodded. "You know, I was in that fairytale, it's far less interesting in person."

"Regardless!" Quinn said. "I would be her because, at least in the _story_, she's tested by something scary, and she has to choose how to deal with it. That's kind of what I'm doing!"

"Well, here's hoping you don't get eaten." Blaine laughed, clapping her on the back.

"What about you Sam?" Rachel asked.

"Jack, from Jack and the Beanstalk."

"I don't know that one." Quinn said.

"What?" Sam asked incredulously. "It's about this boy who sets off on a scary, but magical adventure. He goes up into the clouds and finds a giant kingdom."

"Wait, there are giants in the sky?" Quinn asked skeptically.

"There are giants in the sky." Blaine confirmed.

"Big, tall, terrible, awesome, scary, wonderful giants!" Sam grinned broadly.

"In the sky." Rachel added. "In case you hadn't already figured that out. What about you Blaine?"

"Oh jeez, I don't know. I'd probably be one of those crazy savages that live in the woods behind Violetedge."

"Oh yeah, I hear they're terrifying." Rachel nodded. "Big, ugly, scary monsters."

"Oh they are." Sam said. "Trust me, I've met them. Barely escaped with my life."

"Tell me about it." Quinn agreed, nodding seriously.

They all burst out laughing again as they traversed the large meadow.

It had been a week since they'd left the ruins of Violetedge behind, and the four of them had grown close. Sam and Quinn found that they enjoyed the travelling more when Bruce wasn't constantly barking at them for taking a break; on the contrary, Blaine and Rachel seemed in no rush to get where they were going. The two hadn't been outside of their forest in a decade, and they were eager to take in the sights that the world had to offer.

On a good day, they could almost forget that they were all on the Kingdom's most wanted list, and since they hadn't had a run in with the soldiers since Violetedge, most days were good days.

Sam looked up at the sky as dark thunderclouds began to roll in, blocking out the sunlight above them.

"Oh man, it's definitely going to rain." He said.

"We should find shelter." Rachel agreed.

"Where?" Blaine laughed, gesturing around them. "I mean, we're in the middle of the biggest meadow I've ever seen."

"Isn't it the only meadow you've ever seen?" Sam asked, laughing.

"It's still huge."

"I don't see any mountains or anything, we probably won't find a cave." Quinn said.

"We'll just have to hope something comes along." Rachel said.

They continued to walk, lapsing into a comfortable silence, their game forgotten. They could hear thunderclaps in the distance and they picked up their pace.

"Sam, where are we going anyways?" Quinn asked.

"Do you remember Finn and Marley? We met them at Falcon Bridge like, a month ago?" He said.

"Yeah." Quinn answered. Had it really been a month? It felt like just yesterday that they'd been sprinting away from their home in the dead of night, leaving their family and friends in the dust.

"They helped us find our way the first time; it wouldn't hurt to ask them again."

"What about that spring that the Blacksmith told you about, isn't that a lead?" Blaine asked.

Sam paused, looking back at his friend.

"For me it is... but you're right, I'll find out someday, and I might as well enjoy what I've got while I've got it. My parents are probably dead, I've accepted that, and that's not going to change. But you guys are all alive and well, and that is...less permanent, especially if we're going to rebel against the Imperial Army."

"Aww!" Rachel rubbed his arm teasingly, though she blushed at the contact. "You love us!"

He blushed as well and Blaine and Quinn burst out laughing, both nudging him teasingly.

"Well, I'm honoured." Rachel laughed, hooking her arm around Sam's. She pulled Blaine in on her other side and Quinn snuggled up on Sam's other side. They walked awkwardly together, laughing at their failed attempts at coordination until the sky decided to open up above them.

"Oh man!" Blaine gasped as the rain hit them. "That's really cold."

"My hair is not built for this." Quinn scowled as her hair began to mat to her face.

"Hey!" Rachel pointed into the distance. "Look!"

"What is it?" Quinn asked, squinting through the torrential downpour.

"A farmhouse!" Sam said, taking off at a sprint.

Blaine, Rachel and Quinn took off after him, splashing through the marshy grassland that was rapidly forming around them.

The sky was angry, but despite the cold, the four fugitives were in good spirits, the water washed away some of the dust and sweat that had built up on their skin and clothing over the last week, and this made them all fairly content, despite the fact that the last heavy downpour Quinn and Sam had experienced had been their last day in Ostvale.

Sam reached the large porch of the farmhouse first, jumping up the stairs and under the roof. He turned around, bouncing up and down and beckoning for the others to hurry. Rachel reached him first, closely followed by Blaine, and then Quinn; complaining about her short legs, arrived last.

"I hate rain." She complained, hair plastered to her face. Blaine snickered and brushed some of the denser chunks away.

"That's a good look for you." He said. They laughed and Quinn scowled.

Rachel turned to face the door to the farmhouse.

"Do we just knock?" She asked, tentatively approaching. Sam reached out and rapped hard on the door. Rachel jumped back. "Sam!" She scowled, pushing him in front of her.

He snickered and they waited as footsteps approached the other side of the door. There was the sound of a lock clicking out of place and then the door opened to reveal a pretty dark haired girl with a ponytail, in brown leather pants and a white blouse.

"Hello!" Sam waved cheerfully.

"Hey guppy lips, what's goin' on?" The girl asked casually, leaning against the doorframe as if she were totally accustomed to having four sopping wet adventurers land on her porch.

"We're travellers and it's raining really hard out right now. We were wondering if we could wait out the storm here." Rachel asked, stepping up next to Sam as he subconsciously covered his mouth.

The dark haired girl looked the two of them over and then looked over their shoulders to examine Quinn and Blaine.

"Sure hobbit! My dad'll probably shoot me for it, but whatevs." She turned and beckoned them inside. The four fugitives hesitated outside the door.

"Wait! We don't want to get you in trouble!" Quinn protested.

"Oh don't worry about it!" She waved it off. "Just be quiet and he'll never know you were here!" She shrugged and they followed, Quinn closing the door quietly behind her.

They followed her through a large kitchen and into an adjoining living area where she reached up and pulled a cord in the ceiling. A wooden ladder fell down and stopped just above the floor.

"After you!" She said, flicking her head up.

The others looked at one another and shrugged, Sam; their unofficial leader, stepped up and slowly began to climb. When he reached the top, he gave the others a thumbs up and they all clambered up after him, the girl bringing up the rear and pulling the ladder up with her. "This is the attic, in case you hadn't already figured that out." She said, gesturing around.

The attic of the farmhouse was full to bursting with bales of hay, with paths cleared and pitchforks leaning against one of the walls. Other than that, the room was fairly sparse. They could hear the steady tapping of the rain against the roof overhead.

"So, _my_ name is _Santana_, what are _yours_?" The pony-tailed girl said, sitting down on one of the hay bales and crossing her legs.

"I'm Rachel." Rachel smiled sweetly.

"I'm Sam." He gave her a hasty wave.

"Quinn Fabray." Quinn said primly.

"Blaine." He smiled. "Anderson."

"So...since I'm being fucking awesome and letting you stay here, you should like, tell me stories." Santana said simply, grinning and leaning back with a nonchalance that almost hid the childlike excitement in her eyes.

Rachel blinked and cocked her head to the side.

"Wait what?"

"My dad doesn't let me leave the farm, he says the world outside is too dangerous or whatever. And we never have visitors, because he refuses to allow them, so I don't even get to live, vicariously, through others!" She frowned. The others all shared a look. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Sam asked.

"Don't play with me Trouty Mouth. That knowing look?" She said. "I hate when people do that, it makes me feel like I'm out of the loop. Which I guess I am, because you all obviously know each other, but that is not the point, I, Aunty Snixx deserve to know what's what!" She threw up her hands in distress.

"Well..." Quinn started timidly. "We just...the world outside _is _dangerous." She said, sitting against the wall across from the pitch forks.

"I don't care!" Santana said. "That's what he doesn't understand, is that I'm not afraid. Of anything. Seriously. Except spiders, those things are freaky."

"Right?" Quinn waved at her and glared at Blaine accusatorily.

He laughed and shook his head.

"You'd uh...you'd be surprised." Rachel laughed. "Sometimes the scariest things are the things you least expect."

"Like...?" Santana prompted.

"I think it's best if we don't tell you." Blaine said. "It's safer that way."

"I'm not going to kill you if you tell me Hobbit." Santana said.

"Wait, I thought I was Hobbit..." Rachel blinked.

"You can be dwarf."

"Oh..."

"Umm...Anyways...I meant, safer for you." Blaine clarified awkwardly.

"Come on, you have to be able to tell me _something._" She moaned. "I've been cooped up on this farm for eighteen God-damn years! I need adventure! Even if it's just through a story."

She looked at them all, letting a little bit of some hidden vulnerability trickle through.

_"Alright." _Blaine was the first to break down. "You know the story of Little Red Riding Hood?"

And that was how Blaine, Rachel, Quinn and Sam began to share the quirkier stories of their travels with the farmer's daughter. They omitted key points, like why they were travelling in the first place, and they didn't tell her of the heavier moments they'd had, but that didn't stop them from sharing the story of the awkward boy on the bridge, or the magical golden meadow, or the deer named Flower who lived in the woods behind Violetedge.

"-so the three bears left our...uh...clubhouse, because we kept bringing in furniture and they didn't like it." Rachel finished.

Quinn yawned and rubbed at her eyes.

"I'm tired..." She frowned.

"Me too." Santana said. "I'm gonna go to bed, you guys should hit the hay too."

She paused.

"Feel free to laugh at the hilariousness of Aunty Tana." She said through a barely suppressed laugh. "Cause you're sleeping on hay?" She burst out laughing and the others joined her, though admittedly they were laughing because she thought it was as funny as she did.

"Good night!" Sam waved cheerily as she lowered the ladder.

"Night." Santana waved. "Oh, shit! Do you guys want blankets or something?"

"Yes." Blaine said instantly.

They all looked at him.

"Give me a break; I literally haven't had a blanket in a decade." He frowned.

"Yeah, blankets would be great!" Rachel said.

"Alright, but somebody is gonna have to come with me to get them, and we're going to have to be sneaky as hell so we don't wake that devil who spawned me." Santana said.

Blaine, Quinn and Rachel all turned simultaneously towards Sam.

He frowned.

"Fine..."

With a groan of exertion he pushed himself up and crossed to the ladder. He glared at the others as he descended after Santana, though he really didn't mind all that much.

When he jumped to the floor below, Santana pulled the cord again and the ladder retracted, sealing the attic closed.

"That's cool!" Sam said, awestruck by the new-age contraption.

"I know eh? It's something about springs and bands or something, I don't really know." She laughed. "But I like it!"

Sam nodded in agreement and gestured for Santana to lead the way. She crossed to a hallway and waved for him to follow her.

The two of them tiptoed for quite a while traversing the large house until they came across a large cabinet. She silently held a finger to her lips and pointed to the door directly beside the linen closet, mouthing the word 'Dad'.

Sam nodded and she opened the closet, reaching in and grabbing a stack of blankets. She shoved them in Sam's arms and took two for herself. She gestured with her chin to turn around and he did.

"So why hasn't uh...Blaine? Had a blanket in ten years?" Santana asked.

Sam paused and tried to rack his mind for an excuse.

"...His were...stolen...by...a little girl...in a red cape..."

Santana was about to respond, when the sound of a door creaking open stopped them both in their tracks. She proceeded to body check Sam into a bathroom and throw all of the blankets on top of him.

She pivoted around and leaned against the wall, investigating her nails as her father excited the bedroom, rubbing his tired eyes with a meaty fist.

"What are you doing up?" He asked.

"I just got cold so I came to get another blanket." She said, looking up.

"Go to bed..." He snapped. "There are other people in this house too you know...Walkin' around makin' all this ruckus. It's bad enough I have to put up with the wolves every night."

"Sorry, I'll go now..." Santana turned away.

She paused as a heavy silence descended between them. In the silence, she talked herself into speaking up. "Hey..."

"What?" Her father asked tiredly.

"Why...why can't I go on an adventure?" She asked.

Her father blinked hard and stared at her intensely.

"It's too dangerous. I've told you a thousand times Santana, you're staying put."

"But Dad, I'm not afraid of danger! I'm tough!"

"I don't care how tough you think you are, you're not tough enough for that world. Wolves come and kill our livestock on a nightly basis; you think you can take that on?"

"Yes!" Santana said.

Her father scoffed.

"Have you ever even left this farm?" She asked.

"No, I haven't, and I still-"

"Then how do you know it's dangerous?" Santana cut him off.

"-And I _still _have enough sense to realize that the world out there isn't all peaches and cream." He snapped.

"_How?" _She asked.

"I don't need to justify myself to my own daughter!"

"You just don't have a good enough reason!"

"And I don't need one!" Her father bellowed. "You're not to leave this farm, ever, got it? This was my grandfather's farm, and my father's, and mine, and one day, since I don't have a son, it'll be yours. Now, I won't tolerate any more talk of adventures and bullshit like that! I am your father and you will respect me!"

Santana stared back at him.

"I thought if you loved something, you were supposed to set it free, not keep it caged up like a trapped animal."

"I set a horse free once. Found it dead in the pasture the next day." He glared at her. "Go to bed Santana, I'm done talking." He turned and slammed his door shut.

Santana stood there for a long time, staring at the closed door, biting her lip and trying hard not to cry in front of a total stranger.

Sam stood up in the bathroom and silently began to collect the blankets. When he had them all piled, he turned to face Santana, but she was gone. Silently he made his way back to the living area, and pulled the cord.

Shortly after the ladder descended, the others appeared at the opening. Their worried, saddened eyes told him that sound travelled in the old house.

He shook his head and tossed the blankets up to them, but no sooner had he scaled the ladder and closed the opening than conversation started.

"That's not right." Rachel said.

"He's treating her like a bird in a cage. I'm all for parents caring about their children, but that seems a little excessive." Blaine frowned.

"If she doesn't get to learn what's right and wrong for herself, then she'll never know how to react to a legitimately dangerous situation." Rachel added.

"I know!" Sam agreed. "I felt so bad..." He frowned.

"It does suck...but..." Quinn started. They all turned to look at her. "What can we do about it? I mean, I'd love to help her, but we're four teenagers on the run from the Imperial Army. What are we supposed to do?"

The others deflated, their anger replaced by frustration at their uselessness.

"You're right, there's nothing we can do." Rachel sighed.

"Well..." Blaine started. Quinn glared at him.

"No."

"She could be an asset!" He insisted, feeling slightly betrayed.

"No." Quinn repeated. "We can't subject citizens to the same lifestyle we're going through."

"Quinn's right, it wouldn't be fair to her. I agree that she should get to see the world, but, I mean, what will she see with us?" Rachel asked. "Dark forests and burned down villages?"

"We've seen way more than that." Blaine said.

"We've also all seen death, and had to fight for survival." Quinn said heatedly. "Sam, will you settle this?" She turned to face him, Blaine and Rachel looked to him as well.

"Me, why me?"

"Well we're not going to come to a decision on our own." Blaine said.

"It's two against one." Quinn said. "It's practically already settled."

Blaine glared at her in frustration.

Sam paused and thought about it.

Santana was a farm girl. He wasn't sure what assets that brought to the table. She probably had endurance, and she might be able to swing them some horses to ride, but they all had endurance, and walking was quieter, if a little less efficient. They weren't on a deadline, however, so they had no real reason to rush.

Between Quinn and Rachel they knew how to prepare food from the land, and the siblings knew what was and wasn't safe to eat. Rachel was fine with hunting and preparing meat if they needed it and Quinn could probably get them bread if they ever stopped in one place long enough.

Blaine was practically an animal whisperer, and thus, protected, or at least warned them of any approaching predators, and the siblings had animal-esque senses. Blaine and Quinn were both marksmen, Rachel and Sam could hold their own in hand to hand combat.

They didn't really have any glaring weaknesses except that they were all fugitives.

On the other hand, Santana _could_ run errands into towns for them. She wasn't a wanted face, and soldiers wouldn't see her as threatening. Even if her father reported her missing, it was unlikely that the soldiers would actively look for her when they had Quinn and Sam on the loose.

That was a particularly appealing point to Sam, and he almost said yes, until he remembered Mercedes.

Mercedes had helped them when they needed her the most, and for all he knew, she'd paid the price with her life. The people that helped him often ended up in danger, it was entirely possible that they would arrive back at Falcon Bridge to find Finn slain.

"No." Sam said.

Blaine sighed and Rachel and Quinn both smiled at him appreciatively.

"It's too dangerous."

"Apparently." Blaine said bitterly, grabbing a blanket and rolling over on a row of hay bales.

Sam winced.

If this was what it felt like to be a leader, he wasn't sure he wanted the job.

"Good night..." He called out, turning away and curling up against another bale. The others responded with varying degrees of cheer, but Sam almost found himself wishing that they were on the road again, all curled up around a small fire, feeling content and safe in one another's company.

Something told him that things were only going to get harder.

* * *

**Howl**

"Morning." Santana said bitterly, sitting at their kitchen table and biting into a sandwich as her father stomped into the room, looking grumpy as usual.

"Lot to do today. Eggs need collected, pigs need fed, the entire stable needs fixed up, cows need milked, new hay needs to be thrown into the sheep..." He rambled as he approached, Santana tuned him out as she did most morning.

"I'll get the hay, you start on everything else." He said.

Santana nodded absently and then paused as he walked away and lowered the ladder.

"Wait!" She yelled, practically diving from the table and scrambling across the room, but it was too late.

* * *

_"What the hell?" _

Sam was startled awake by a booming cry of absolute fury.

"Oh no." He heard Rachel say, and then the startled flurry of movement as she jumped to her feet. He glanced up through bleary eyes, first taking in a large boot, then a large leg, then a large person.

He sighed.

_"What the hell are you doing in my house?" _The farmer yelled.

"Daddy please!" Santana's voice sounded.

Quinn roused from her sleep and hurried to wake Blaine as Sam staggered to his feet, holding his hands up passively in surrender.

_ "Did you know they were here?" _Her father roared as Santana stepped between her outraged father and Sam, the other three stood together further back.

"They're four adventurers; Sam, Rachel, Quinn and Blaine. They were just trying to get out of the rain; I couldn't just let them-"

"The hell you couldn't have!" Her father spat. "If they're such mighty adventurers, they could've toughed out the rain!"

"With all due respect, we didn't mean to cause any trouble..." Quinn tried to play the pacifist.

It didn't work.

_"With all due respect." _The farmer mimicked her in an obnoxious nasally voice. "Nobody takes advantage of my hospitality and gets away with it."

"What hospitality...?" Blaine mumbled sitting up on the hay and rubbing his eyes.

"Really..." Quinn nodded.

"You got somethin' to say?" The farmer spat.

"No sir!" Quinn smiled and shook her head innocently.

"Daddy, come on, they didn't do anything wrong."

"They made my own daughter lie to me. Gettin' yourself some blankets huh? And I bet they're where all this adventure talk came from too! Been tellin' my daughter stories?" He roared, raising his hand.

Instinctively, they all reached for their weapons.

"No!" Santana said, turning to face them. One by one they took their hands away again.

"They were gonna attack me!"

"You were going to attack them first, it was only fair." She reasoned. "Now, we must be able to work something out. Payment or something." She looked at the four fugitives hopefully.

"I'm really sorry, we're totally poor. We haven't got a coin to our name." Rachel said, pointing to Blaine and then back to her.

"With clothing and artillery like that you sure don't look poor." The farmer snapped.

"We don't really have a source of income..." Sam said. "We've got a few coins left though..." He mumbled reaching for his bag.

The farmer stomped his foot, stopping Sam in his tracks.

"I don't want your money." He said coldly.

"Then what do you want?" Blaine asked.

The farmer smiled broadly.

* * *

"How are we supposed to do this?" Rachel asked, walking carefully through the chicken coop, wicker basket in hand. "Just, pick them up and look under their butts?" The idea was not appealing to her.

"I guess so..." Sam shrugged, reaching for a large brown chicken. He lifted it up and it squawked in terror, flailing about and scratching his face. "Ah!" He loosened his grip and it flew through the air towards Rachel who screamed and covered her face.

She backed up to get away from it and stepped on a pitchfork that was lying on the ground. It flipped up and smacked her in the side of the head, causing her to stumble to the side, dazed.

"Oops..." She mumbled as she fell towards the ground.

Sam lunged forwards and caught her just before she hit.

"Who knew collecting eggs could be such dangerous work." Rachel smiled up at him. He smiled back and she felt her heart flutter.

Wait what? She thought to herself, rolling out of his arms immediately and thudding to the ground. She clutched at her chest and turned to look at him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

There it was again! That flutter in her chest! No. Now was not the time for this! She had just agreed to go on a mission where she would most probably die, heck, she'd just had a close call collecting eggs! There was little to no chance that she'd walk out of a war intact! She did not have time to spend doodling hearts in the dirt!

"Are you...okay?" Sam asked, genuinely concerned.

"Fine!" Rachel answered shrilly. "Just, stressed out! You know! Dangerous chicken farming!" She rested a hand on one of the rotted walls of the coop with a horribly fake laugh, and promptly fell straight through.

Sam peeked in after her as she lay twitching in the hay on the other side.

"Look on the bright side; at least you don't have to deal with the horses. If the chickens are this bad, imagine how much fun Quinn's having!"

* * *

"Oh yes, who's a pretty horse?" Quinn cooed, holding up the chin of the horse she was brushing and shaking it back and forth. The horse whinnied and nuzzled against her. She laughed. "You know, this isn't as bad as I had anticipated."

"Yeah, they're babes alright." Santana said fondly, rubbing the nose of a white horse next to the one Quinn was brushing. "I love them, but...after a while; it's not as fun..." She trailed off looking the other way.

Quinn bit her lip.

"You've never been off the farm?" She asked softly.

"Once." Santana smiled tightly. "When my mom was still alive. I was three, and she took me to see the crystals in Violetedge. Dad was so mad when we got back..." Santana frowned and blinked hard.

Quinn swallowed deeply, looking at her with sad, pitying eyes. Santana caught her staring and shook her head, as if to brush off her concern.

"It's fine though! I mean, I'm a fucking boss at what I do, and I always have food to eat and a roof over my head! That's a lot more than some people!" She smiled and turned back to the horse. "And I've got four different species of friends!" She laughed.

Quinn didn't.

Santana was quite obviously a hard person, with a penchant for pretending to look on the bright side of things. That was an interesting attribute, and it made Quinn wonder how often she hid behind these good things that were really only mediocre, in order to avoid seeing the bad.

At the same time, she had a hunch that Santana wasn't as naive as she appeared. She knew more than her father gave her credit, and Quinn had a feeling she could do anything she put her mind to.

She also had a feeling that Santana was someone she could trust.

Something deep inside of her told her that...that maybe she _should_ take a chance on this girl, because she didn't deserve to wait years for the right people to come along and make her see reality.

Santana had already been waiting for eighteen.

Now...maybe _Quinn_ was the right person.

"I heard your fight." She said.

"Yeah, let's not talk about that!" Santana waved her off again, turning away.

"Blaine pitched the idea of you coming with us." Quinn said.

Santana fell into a hopeful silence. Not moving, not speaking, barely even breathing.

"We said no." Quinn said apologetically.

Santana sighed and bit her lip, blinking back tears. She'd known that they wouldn't want her to come with them, but it hadn't stopped her from being stupid and hoping, just that little bit...

"When I was young...my mom would always show me pictures in books, of far off places." Santana said, looking at her, horses forgotten. "Princesses in towers, street rats and magic lamps, magnificent golden slippers..." She paused.

Quinn sat down delicately on an overturned bucket and directed all of her attention to her. Something told her that she was the first Santana had ever opened up to like this. She looked at the horses. The first one who spoke English at least...

"She used to go out on these outings, just to walk and see where she ended up. She and Dad always used to fight about it, but she would come back so happy and excited, and she'd tell me stories of the places she'd been and the people she met." Santana smiled and wiped away a tear. "She always told me that when I was old enough, she'd take me with her, and that maybe one day, we'd just walk and never come back..."

She lapsed into silence and Quinn rested her chin in her hands, looking up at the other girl. Santana was still staring at the horse, as if looking away would crumble the courage she'd built up to talk. This was different from her usual bravado, this was real courage...

"She died when I was four." Santana said. "She went out on one of her walks, and was attacked by a gang of bandits on the road. We didn't know until her horse came running home without her. Dad went out and found her."

"That's why he's so set against you leaving..." Quinn said, staring at her with understanding eyes.

Santana nodded.

"I'm sorry; I'm not an emotional person." She laughed and wiped her eyes. "It's just...I'm not the type of person who can stay like this and be okay with it. I need adventure. I'm my mother's child, not my dad's..." She shrugged.

Quinn looked at her for a long time, deliberating in her head. Despite how angry the others would be with her if they ever found out, she decided that Santana deserved to know just who she was dealing with.

"When Blaine was young..." She started. "He lived in the castle, with his sister." He said. "Rachel."

She took a deep breath and Santana turned to look at him in confusion.

"Their parents are the King's right hand man and woman. They tried to have Rachel and Blaine executed. Their Nurse set them free, and escaped with them. She died protecting them from the world they were born in. It was leaving that world that saved them." Quinn said, looking up at her and making eye contact. "If you think that this world you're living in is wrong for you, than it probably is. You have big dreams Santana, and you shouldn't give up on those just because your father says to."

"I'm just some farm girl, how could I make it on my own?"

"You don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams." Quinn told her. "Maybe...maybe it's time to take your life into your own hands. Sometimes parents don't know what's best..." She laughed. "I love my mom, but my Dad ran out on me. Sam's parents dropped him at somebody's doorstep. Rachel and Blaine...well, you know their story now."

Santana smiled softly and turned to look at her horse. Eventually she nodded and turned back to her.

"You're right." She said. Quinn smiled.

"I know."

* * *

Blaine scowled as he trudged through the mud. Of the four of them, he had been chosen to feed the pigs. The pigs, who happened to live in mud that was almost up to Quinn's knees. To be fair, that wasn't saying much, but still! Why couldn't any of the others have been given this job? He would much rather be picking up eggs.

"Alright, I have food..." He scowled as the four massive pigs turned to face him.

One of them grunted and pawed at the mud. He paused and raised the barrel of compost in his hand.

"There there, I'm just gonna poor this out over here..." He turned away slowly.

The pigs charged.

* * *

They met up again around lunchtime, the four of them crowding around a large kitchen table. Santana's father had decided not to join them, and had taken his food out to the barn.

Rachel caught the look shared between Quinn and Santana and gave her a questioning glance. She turned away immediately, looking around innocently, which of course made Rachel suspicious.

She caught Sam's eye and instantly turned away, choking on her sandwich.

As Santana pounded her back Sam looked around.

"Hey, where's Blaine?" He asked.

"I don't know, which job did he get?" Santana asked.

"Pig pen." Rachel coughed out, wiping her eyes. Santana's eyes widened.

"Oh shit..." She took off out the door and the others raced after her, confused. They didn't have to run far.

Blaine stood in the middle of the porch, scowling and covered from head to toe in mud.

Santana brought a hand to her mouth and Quinn pursed her lips to try not to laugh. Sam failed to contain himself and burst into hysterical laughter, and Rachel tried to cover her giggle with a cough as she rushed over to her brother.

Quinn reached a hand up to wipe mud from his forehead and flung it to the ground.

Santana lost it, doubling over and joining Sam in hysterics.

"I guess he didn't tell you that the pigs weren't very friendly..." Santana gasped out.

Blaine scowled.

"Nope."

Rachel daintily reached into Blaine's hair and pulled out an apple core. She looked at Quinn. Despite a valiant effort, that was it. Soon Blaine was the only one still standing as all four of his friends burst into hysterics at his feet.

* * *

"Alright." The farmer said as he re-entered the house. He looked up to find Santana, Quinn and Sam standing before him. "Where are the other two?"

They looked at one another.

"Nobody gets out of this; you all have a debt to work off."

"No!" Blaine yelled angrily from further in the house.

"He had a bad experience with the pigs..." Santana said. "It's probably best to let him be."

"Fine, then you two better work twice as hard." He glared at the others, who sighed. "Go; cut some wood out beside the barn. The sheep need some hay too; I'm expecting that to be finished by nightfall, I've got another job for you then." He said.

Sam and Quinn frowned but nodded and tiredly left the house. As they walked across the property towards the barn Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Quinn interrupted him.

"No! I am doing the sheep!" She said.

Sam laughed.

"That wasn't what I was going to say."

"Oh, well, I'm doing it anyways." Quinn blushed. "What were you gonna say?"

They reached the barn and slowed to a stop outside of the door.

Sam turned to her.

"About last night..." He started. Quinn smiled and shook her head.

"Its fine Sam, you made the right call." She said. "I have a hunch that Santana will find her own way."

She looked up at the house with a knowing grin on her face.

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure." Sam smiled and then paused. "I think you're right about Santana though. She's strong." He nodded and turned away, walking around the side of the barn.

"Yeah, she is." Quinn smiled and walked into the building.

* * *

Santana smiled, bouncing into the bathroom where Blaine and Rachel were bent over the metal wash bin scrubbing away diligently at the boy's clothing.

Blaine had changed into an old pair of overalls while they worked, and was retelling the story of his battle in the pigpen to Rachel in animated detail.

"-and then I fell..." He paused and looked up, smiling.

Blaine was over his ordeal, and now that he was all cleaned up and his clothing was almost finished, he was willing to see the humour in the situation.

"Are you all cleaned up Hobbit?" Santana asked.

"Yep!" He smiled and began hauling his soaking clothing out. "I'm going to go and set it to dry for the night actually." He said and Santana nodded, stepping aside so Blaine could pass by her.

"Put it on the chicken coop roof! It gets more sun!" Santana called after him.

"Alright!" Blaine laughed.

Rachel rose to her feet and smiled at Santana as she turned.

"Thanks for not letting your dad kill us." Rachel laughed, stepping past her and walking down the hallway towards the porch.

"Oh anytime!" She laughed, running to catch up with the other girl.

Rachel stepped out onto the deck and leaned against the railing, looking out at the farm. As hostile as Santana's father was, it almost felt homey. She was going to be sad to leave it again, if only for the sake of their newfound friend and savior.

She smiled at Santana.

She didn't regret saying that she shouldn't come. She shouldn't! It was going to be a long, difficult and dangerous journey. Santana's father was right about how awful the world was. Rachel, Sam, Blaine and Quinn all had personal ties to the situation; they didn't have a better alternative. Santana led a comfortable life on the farm, even if it got boring sometimes. But she was still definitely going to miss the farm girl...

Rachel turned to look past the Hispanic girl, towards where Sam was chopping wood in the distance. There it was again, that stupid flutter in her heart. That wasn't fair; infatuation would only complicate things later on. What if she had to make a choice? Between Sam and her brother. Sure, as it stood, she would pick Blaine, but what if she allowed the infatuation to continue. Would she still think the same way two months later?

"He's cute, huh?"Santana nudged Rachel teasingly.

"What?"Rachel blinked and looked away. "No, yes, I don't know. What?" She shook her head and Santana laughed.

"Oh come on dwarf, don't play with Aunty Snixx. I can see the way you look at him. You're in _love._" She fake swooned and then gave her a look.

Rachel shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I don't do love." She said seriously.

Santana looked at Sam, and then back at Rachel.

"Maybe it's time to start." She suggested, before turning and walking off into the house.

* * *

"I'm not complaining, but do you have sandwiches for every meal?" Sam asked over dinner.

"Mostly." Santana nodded.

"At my house, we pretty much always had chicken." Quinn offered.

"Does your dad ever eat with you?" Rachel asked, looking around.

"Mostly...not." Santana shrugged. "He likes his space, I like mine. I like having company though, it's like a party!" She smiled and the others laughed.

As they finished up, Santana's dad reappeared.

"I've got one more task for you all." He said. The four of them groaned and hung their heads. "Be grateful I didn't stab you with a pitchfork!" He boomed.

"What's the task?"Blaine asked tiredly.

"You're adventurers, right?"

"Sure are." Sam nodded.

"Good, there are some wolves in the area. They've been picking off my sheep and I want you to take care of them." He turned to walk away.

"The sheep?" Rachel blinked.

"The wolves."

"Wait!" Quinn yelled out. He turned back around. "You want us to kill them...?" She asked meekly.

"No." Blaine shook his head.

"Listen, I'm not dumb. I know you four are running from something, and unless you want me to alert the entire kingdom to your whereabouts, you'll do as I say." He glared at them.

"Dad!" Santana cried in outrage. "That's not fair!"

"Stay out of this Santana." He snapped, staring down the four of them one at a time. Sam held his gaze.

"Fine." He said.

"That's what I thought." The farmer turned and stalked away.

* * *

The sun set far sooner than any of them wanted it to, and before long, it was time to bite the proverbial bullet and make their way to the field.

Sam sighed and looked around at the others, relaxing around the small clearing in various states of unease. Relaxing probably wasn't the right word actually... relaxation would imply a level of comfort. In fact, 'relaxing' was the exact opposite of what they were doing; not one of the fugitives were okay with the task that had been set before them. Blaine and Quinn both looked particularly perturbed.

"We can't kill them..." Quinn said, cradling her knees against her chest. Blaine, who was drawing shapes in the nearby river with a twig, nodded earnestly.

"We have to." Rachel sighed. "I don't like it either, but it's the only way the farmer will keep quiet."

"About that..." A curious voice piped in. The four of them glanced up to find Santana approaching with some kindling in arm. "What _are _you running from?"

"Nothing." Sam said hastily.

"That's convincing." Santana snorted. She set down the logs. "I brought you stuff to make a fire with, the least you can do is tell me why you're all acting like the world wants your heads on a platter."

"We can't even make a fire!" Sam laughed. "We'll scare away the wolves!"

"Yeah really!" Quinn frowned.

"Shut up Trouty! It's the thought that counts!" Santana protested.

Sam shook his head and turned to face the two youngest members of their group.

"Are you two ready?" He asked sympathetically.

Blaine and Quinn both looked at him sadly. They were the best marksmen; it was up to them to shoot the wolves. If they got closer, Rachel and Sam could join in the feuding, but they couldn't rely on brute force alone.

Quinn looked at the bow by her feet and then looked back up at the stars that twinkled above her head. The night was warm, but the thought of killing something that had done nothing wrong chilled her to the bone.

"There are a lot of fish in this pond." Blaine remarked. Sam blinked, that could not have been any further from a direct answer.

"Yeah?" He asked. "So?"

Blaine paused and looked at him.

"I don't know, I was just making an observation."

"It's because these waters never freeze, but they never get too hot either." Santana explained. "The fish never have to leave or relocate. They've actually begun to overpopulate. My father's been debating buying a few barn cats just to keep the number down. I mean, we'd never have to feed them ri-"

"Shh!" Rachel hissed. She pointed into the darkness and the other four stared out into the night. There, slowly approaching, the moonlight glinting off of its eyes; was a wolf. "That's the first one, come on..."

She looked back at Blaine and Quinn. They looked at each other, then down at their weapons. Rachel felt her heart break for them. They were the babies of the team...even if the ages varied, they seemed the least corrupt... She couldn't let them kill. Not without reason at least; fighting a soldier who was gunning for them was one thing, slaughtering a wolf just for doing what a wolf did was quite another.

Silently she took Quinn's bow and brought it to her eyes, lining it up with the wolf.

They all watched with baited breath as the predator slinked closer and closer. Slowly it stepped into a bright beam of moonlight and Rachel tightened the string.

"Wait!" Blaine yelled. The wolf looked up, but didn't run away. Blaine hastily put a hand atop the bow and lowered it so that it pointed towards the ground. He looked at Rachel imploringly. "Look at it...really look..." He whispered.

She did.

They all did.

The wolf continued to struggle forwards, but in the moonlight it was all too clearly malnourished. Its coat did not have the lustre and shine that healthy fur should have possessed, its gums were inflamed and bleeding and its skin stuck to its ribs.

Rachel swallowed deeply and exchanged a look with Blaine. She knew he was thinking it too. The wolf looked the same way the two siblings had felt for years in the forest on the outskirts of Violetedge.

She dropped the bow.

Sam sighed. They couldn't kill the wolf and he knew it, it had just as much a right to fight for survival as they did. It was the sad truth, but it was a dog-eat-dog world. He looked away from the poor creature and his eyes found the water.

"H-hey..." He whispered. The others looked at him curiously. "I think I have an idea..."

* * *

Five minutes later, Blaine and Rachel were slowly approaching the curious looking canine. They, of the group, smelled the least human. They'd spent ten years living in the forest, and both were pretty certain that the smell of pine and black earth would never wash out.

"Hello..." Blaine crouched down before the beast when they were almost a carriage-length away. The wolf slowly began to draw back its lips in a snarl but Blaine hastily shook his head. "We don't want to fight, and we're not going to get in the way of your food, I promise!"

The wolf looked at them both curiously, but his lips returned to a neutral position.

Rachel glanced up behind the wolf and then did a double take. Slowly, crawling across the terrain, were six other wolves. She caught her breath, but turned back to the first wolf.

"We spent years having to fend for ourselves in the forest, just like you have to, and I know you think the only way you can stay alive is by attacking the farmer's stock, right?" Rachel asked. Slowly it nodded. "Well what happens when you eat all of the sheep?"

The wolf paused and looked down as if it hadn't thought of that.

Blaine smiled at it and half turned away towards the river. "Come over here." He said, crawling so as not to seem like he was trying to intimidate the wolf. Rachel crawled after him and he risked a glance over at the other three humans who sat watching with baited breath.

The wolf closed the distance between them in half, and two of the other wolves approached as well, looking curiously into the water where dozens upon dozens of fish flittered to and fro.

"See all those fish?" Rachel asked. "They're overpopulating the river. There are so many, that they're running out of space. Think about it, that's hundreds of fish at the tips of your claws! You'll never go hungry again!"

The wolf, who Rachel assumed was the pack leader, looked up with a spark in his eye and let his tongue loll out the side as he panted excitedly.

He turned back to the river and dunked his head under. He came out wet, but unsuccessful and scowling. He looked at the humans mutinously.

"No, no, not like that!" Blaine said hastily. He waved his hand for the other wolves to approach. "Here, we'll show you. Our friends are going to come and help us demonstrate, okay? They're not going to hurt you..." He paused and waited for the seven wolves to nod, one by one, before turning and beckoning Sam, Quinn and Santana forward.

The three of them approached slowly and Blaine and Rachel split apart to allow Sam to approach the pack leader.

"Show him how Sam." Rachel said.

The wolves watched intently as Sam turned to face the water.

"Fish are fast in the water, so even if you get your teeth around them, they can swim right back out again." He said. "But if you bat them out of the water..." He paused and darted his hand in, slapping a passing fish and sending it flying out onto the riverbed where it flopped around hopelessly. "They're helpless."

The pack leader's eyes lit up and he turned to gobble down the fish, but paused. He looked up at a smaller brown wolf who was panting off to the side. She had a very noticeable bulge in her stomach and with a start; Sam realized that she was pregnant.

The pack leader nudged the fish with its snout towards the alpha female. She nodded bashfully and devoured the fish in a way that only a starving creature could.

"Now you try." Quinn smiled at the wolves and the alpha female approached her. Looking over top of her, Quinn noticed the other wolves pairing off as well. The pack leader stayed with Sam, and a boxier wolf moved to Santana. The other four, who seemed more afraid of any one on one contact, stayed around Blaine and Rachel.

She looked at the pregnant female who was watching the water intently in front of her. Quinn blinked back tears, reaching out to stroke the beautiful creature's musty coat. The wolf looked at her and Quinn smiled.

"It's over now. You don't have to be hungry anymore." She looked at the wolf's pregnant stomach. "None of you."

The wolf nuzzled against her and nodded.

"I know you're scared..." Quinn whispered. "But you'll never have to live that way again."

She paused.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Rob Thomas: Little Wonders-**

"And...and if things ever get hard for you or your pack...I want you to find us, okay?" She asked. The wolf's eyes danced with happiness, and again she nodded.

She turned back towards the river, and flicked out a paw. In a flash, Quinn saw the moonlight reflect off of the metallic grey scales of the fish as it soared through the air.

She felt happy, truly happy, to be lucky enough to witness such a magical, wonderful moment. These were the moments, she realized, that gave her hope for this world.

_"Let it go..." _She sang as the wolf gobbled down the fish. She reached out to pat the wolf's head. _"Let it roll right off your shoulder, don't you know? The hardest part is over..."_

_"Let it in!" _Sam continued, giving the alpha male a thumbs up and a grin as another fish soared through the air. _"Let your clarity define you, in the end, we will only just remember how it feels." _

He glanced over the back of his wolf and caught Quinn's eye. She smiled and joined him in song.

_"Our lives are made in these small hours." _They nodded. _"These little wonders; these twists and turns of fate!" _

Together, they looked out across the starlit meadow.

_"Time falls away, but these small hours...these small hours, still remain." _

Rachel squealed excitedly and hugged one of her wolves, rubbing its side encouragingly as it succeeded. Blaine bent down next to one of his, coaching it along.

_"Let it slide." _Rachel sang._ "Let your troubles fall behind you..."_

_"Let it shine, until you feel it all around you." _He beamed as the wolf caught on.

_"And I don't mind!" _Rachel sang, turning to face her other wolf. _"If it's me you need to turn to." _She caught Blaine's eye.

_"We'll get by..." _He sang softly, smiling at her. _"It's the heart that really matters in the end." _

He nodded and she took a shaky breath, reaching over to grab her brother's hand. They opened their mouths to sing the chorus and Sam and Quinn looked over at them, singing along.

_"Our lives are made, in these small hours! These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate." _They sang. Santana looked up and around at the four of them and then swallowed sadly, looking back at the farmhouse. _"Time falls away, but these small hours...these small hours, still remain."_

The four of them turned back to their wolves, but Santana stared at her home.

_"All of my regret...will wash away somehow..." _She turned back to the boxy wolf and smiled at it. _"But I cannot forget...the way I feel right now."_ She looked up to notice Sam watching her and smiling.

_"In these small hours..." _He sang. _"These little wonders." _

Santana smiled tearfully and nodded, joining him.

_"These twists and turns of fate...yeah these twists and turns of fate!" _They belted together, standing up.

_"Time falls away, yeah but these small hours, and these small hours still remain. Yeah." _Quinn, Rachel and Blaine stood up and joined them. _"Ooh they still remain...these little wonders, oh these twists and turns of fate!" _

The five of them turned to watch the seven wolves fishing in the moonlit river.

_"Time falls away..." _They sang softly. _"But these small hours...these little wonders-"_

_ "-still remain..." _Santana finished.

She looked up at the house once more and nodded to herself. Nobody noticed the crystals on Sam's sword shimmer to life for just a moment. They were restoring hope to the land, one person at a time.

* * *

**Clyde**

"It was nice meeting you." Sam said as he clipped on his belt, slipping Bruce's sword into his scabbard. He looked up and smiled at Santana, who smiled fondly back.

"It was nice meeting you too." She said. "All of you."

It was barely sunup. They'd spent the entire night with the wolves, and when the first hints of sunlight began to light up the sky, the animals had taken their leave, fleeing back into the woods.

It had been an unforgettable experience.

Now the five of them stood on Santana's porch, packing their belongings and preparing to part ways.

Sam opened his arms for a hug and Santana smiled and embraced him tightly. He nodded and stepped back as Blaine stepped up, taking his place.

"Thank you for everything Santana." He smiled. Blaine was dressed in his own clothing again, and had his bow and quiver safely attached to his back.

As he pulled away, Santana swiped a curl out of his face and they both smiled.

"Dwarf..." Santana said, opening her arms and beckoning the other girl forwards. Rachel laughed and obliged, wrapping her arms around Santana. "Have fun seducing Sam!" She whispered teasingly in her ear.

Rachel gasped and pulled away, trying and failing to glare at the other girl. Eventually she settled for walking away and securing her daggers in her belt. Santana laughed as Rachel joined the other two at the bottom of the stairs.

Quinn was just walking up to her when the farmer walked out, scowling.

Blaine wondered if he actually knew how to smile.

"I heard those wolves last night." He said gruffly. "Did you do your job?" He asked.

"I don't think you'll be having any more wolf trouble." Sam said, grinning mischievously. Santana nodded and the farmer grunted.

"Alright then, get going." He snapped.

Quinn hastily ducked past him and hugged Santana. Before they separated she leaned in close to her.

"Remember what I said." Quinn whispered and then jumped away, skipping down the stairs to join her friends.

Santana watched her new friends go, smiling and waving.

"I'm gonna miss them." She said fondly.

"I'm gonna miss the extra help. There are chores to be done, get to work." Her father snapped.

Santana smiled and nodded, turning towards the barn and grabbing a pitchfork to take with her. Even her father's perpetual bad mood couldn't bring her down anymore. One day, she'd live her life for her.

For now, however, she was going to pick her battles.

* * *

"I think she'll be fine." Quinn smiled as they walked away.

"Me too..." Rachel said.

"Me three." Sam agreed. Blaine nodded.

"So, now what?" Rachel asked.

"We go back home." Sam said, sharing a nervous look with Quinn. "To the boy on the bridge."

* * *

Three nights later the four of them found themselves making camp in yet another large meadow.

They'd chosen a spot near a large boulder that would cover some of the light from their fire, and they had decided to sleep in shifts, uneasy being so blatantly in plain sight.

Sam awoke to a hand on his shoulder and blinked up at a tired-eyed Rachel.

"Your turn." She told him. He nodded and pushed himself up. She moved over to where Blaine was sleeping and curled up next to him. She was asleep before her head hit his shoulder.

Sam sighed and stood up, brushing dirt off of his pants. He leaned in to the fire and poked the embers with a stick, keeping it going. He glanced to the side and noticed Quinn watching him.

"You're not sleeping?" He asked casually.

She pushed herself upright and pulled her knees in to her chest.

"We're too close to Ostvale for me to get any real sleep." She sighed.

"Are you scared?"He asked.

"Yeah." She shrugged. Fear was almost a give-in at that point.

"Don't be." Sam smiled. "We'll be fine, as long as we stick together. You're my best friend; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Quinn nodded, smiling.

"You're right." She said and then looked past him. Her eyes widened and she backed up immediately. "S-S-Sam!" She stammered, pointing over his shoulder.

Sam whipped around and gasped.

"Hello boy." The man behind him snarled. The two soldiers at his side both had their swords and shields drawn.

"W-who are you?" Sam stammered, backing away. The man drew a sword and stabbed it into the ground at Sam's feet, scaring him into immobility.

"My name is Clyde." He drawled. "I'm the King's right hand man." He said.

Quinn shot a look at where Rachel and Blaine were still passed out beside the large rock. She reached over with her foot and began to nudge Rachel's foot. She grunted and shifted around in her sleep, but didn't rise.

"Now, we can do this one of two ways." He said, leering down at Sam and drawing his sword from the ground to point it at Sam's face. "You can come along quietly, or we can have some fun. Please _do_ pick the latter." He snarled.

"We'll I'm definitely not coming along quietly." Sam said.

Quinn grabbed her bow, whipped it over her shoulder and fired a shot at the man's face. He ducked to the side and Sam lunged for a hot coal from the fire, holding it up as Clyde lunged at him, pressing it into his face.

"Blaine! Rachel!" Quinn shrieked, rising to her feet.

"What?" Rachel asked irritably, sitting up.

Blaine scratched his head and sat up behind her. They both looked forwards and froze.

"Oh my God." Rachel whispered.

"...Fuck." Blaine leapt to his feet and lunged for his bow.

The soldiers leapt into action, charging forwards as Clyde doubled over, clutching at his forehead where Sam had burnt him.

Quinn screamed and fired another arrow as a soldier approached her, sword and shield at the ready. He stepped forwards and brought the sword down towards her but Rachel jumped in the way and parried the blow with her spear, spinning around and delivering a kick to the soldier's shield. He stumbled backwards and glared at the two girls.

Blaine nervously circled the other soldier, bow at the ready. He lunged and Blaine scrambled backwards, crawling on top of the boulder. He fired off one of his arrows and the soldier blocked it, but took a half-step backwards.

Blaine looked around fearfully and fired another shot that nailed the soldier in the shoulder. He roared in pain and wrenched it free, glaring daggers at the younger boy.

Clyde recovered and lunged at Sam, who tumbled backwards and brought his feet into Clyde's chest, flipping the older man over his head. Sam sprang back to his feet and drew his sword.

Clyde flipped in midair and landed nimbly on his feet. He turned around and smiled coldly.

"Impressive." He said.

Sam didn't respond, but kept his gaze trained on Clyde's sword.

The soldier swung at Rachel, who ducked and kicked him in the groin. He doubled over and she punched him in the face and pushed him backwards.

"You bitch!" The soldier snarled and lunged at her.

She screamed and jumped out of the way, and Quinn ducked. The soldier stumbled forwards and tripped over Quinn, falling to the ground, dazed. Quinn rushed forwards in an attempt to put distance between herself and the soldier, but he reached out and grabbed her foot, pulling her to the ground and smashing her face against the hard earth.

"Quinn!" Blaine and Sam yelled simultaneously.

Clyde took his chance and leapt forwards, disarming Sam in one swift stroke. He watched in terror as his blade flew across the fire pit and imbedded itself in the soil next to their gear.

Clyde smiled victoriously and swung at him again, but Sam balled his fist and blocked the attack by punching Clyde's wrist. Clyde pivoted around and tried to bring his blade into Sam's back, but Sam ducked and tackled him around the middle, bringing them both to the ground and sending Clyde's sword tumbling from his grasp and into the fire.

Blaine gritted his teeth and fired another arrow at the soldier, but he raised his shield and blocked it. Blaine reached out and kicked the shield as hard as he could and the soldier staggered backwards. This only deterred him for so long, as he rushed forwards again.

He swung his sword at Blaine's ankles and he jumped, landing clumsily on the rock and wobbling. Blaine looked up as the sword was swung at him again and he cringed but the ringing noise of steel on steel brought him back to reality as Rachel stepped in the way and parried the blow.

Quinn kicked the soldier holding her in the face, effectively breaking his nose, but her vision was swimming, and when she managed to rise to her feet, the arrow she fired at him flew wide.

The soldier rose to his feet and tackled her around the legs, taking her down to the ground again and smacking her head against the hard soil. She cried out and spots erupted in front of her. Her bow dropped out of her grasp.

Quinn flailed about wildly for anything to attack with and eventually managed to grab hold of a small log from the fire. She twisted around and drilled the hot end into the soldier's face. He screamed and let her go, curling in on himself.

Sam and Clyde rolled around on the ground, fighting for dominance, but eventually Clyde won out. He balled his fists and punched Sam in the face, but the teenager grabbed his fist on the next swing and twisted his wrist until he was forced to roll off of him.

He wasted no time in pouncing and pinning Clyde's hands beneath him as he punched him back, ignoring the blood that dripped from his own nose.

Quinn staggered to her feet, clutching at her head. Her brain felt like it was ringing and the spots in front of her eyes weren't going away. She looked back at the soldier who was just now struggling to his feet, and then over at where Rachel and Blaine were trying to tag-team the other soldier.

Her soldier ran at her and she tried to stumble out of the way, but he tackled her to the ground again and she cried out as her breath left her. She dug her fingernails into the soldier's face, causing him to cry out and drop her again, but when she managed to rise to her feet, fatigue won out.

She crumpled.

"Quinn!" Rachel yelled, half-stepping away from her brother.

The soldier took his chance and lunged with his sword, and Rachel cried out as a long gash opened up along her right arm. She stared at the blood. It looked so surreal...She staggered away and the soldier approached Blaine.

"Rachel!" He yelled, fear for his sister overpowering his battle instincts. He noticed the soldier too late, he was too close to fire. Blaine tried to kick him away again, but the soldier was ready, and ducked under his foot to grab his other leg, yanking on it hard.

Blaine yelled as he fell from his perch, and everything went black as his head hit the boulder.

Hard.

"Blaine!" Rachel yelled, lunging towards him. She tried to swing her spear at the soldier but he caught her arm and twisted it until she let go and fell to the ground. She grabbed her shoulder and looked up at him in terror, the other soldier joined him and they both began to advance on her menacingly.

"Rachel!" Sam gasped, looking over his shoulder. "Quinn! Blaine!"

One by one, his friends had fallen. This couldn't happen, not yet! They'd barely even begun! This wasn't how it was supposed to be! He was supposed to be great someday!

"Hey kid!" Clyde snapped.

Sam turned around and Clyde head-butted him in the face.

Sam gasped and one hand flew to his already broken nose. Clyde wrenched a hand free and shoved Sam off of him, lunging for his sword. Sam tried to grab him again, but missed. Clyde grabbed his sword and hissed as the hot metal from the fire burnt his skin.

He dropped it again and Sam lunged for it, grabbing it. Clyde scowled and reached for Sam's.

"No! Nobody can touch that!" Sam screamed.

Clyde grinned and reached for it more deliberately as Sam stumbled to his feet.

Clyde turned to grab the sword, but Sam was quicker, kicking him in the back and sending him sprawling to the ground. Sam grabbed his own sword and then held both weapons at the ready as Clyde jumped to his feet.

The evil man lunged at him again and Sam pivoted, raking the blade of his sword along Clyde's face, from his forehead down to the opposite side of his chin. Sam continued to turn as Clyde howled in pain, and Sam threw Clyde's sword across the meadow with as much force as he could gather.

When he turned back, Clyde had Rachel's spear at Sam's throat.

"You lose you little brat." Clyde snapped, blood dripping down the diagonal sized gash. "Though I must say; what an extraordinary effort. It's been a long time since somebody lasted so long against me." He boasted. "It's been a long time since somebody managed to land a serious blow, actually."

"Well maybe they didn't have something worth fighting for." Sam said, trying hard to hold it together.

"Sheath your weapon." Clyde commanded.

Sam raised his chin defiantly and refused.

"Kill the girl." Clyde turned to the soldiers casually. They raised their swords.

"Wait!" Sam yelled. "I'll sheath it!" He practically slammed his sword into the scabbard and the soldiers looked to Clyde for guidance. He nodded for them to lower their weapons.

"Good, now we understand who's in charge around here." He taunted, slowly circling Sam like a bird of prey. "I have a proposition for you..._Sam_."

"No." Sam said automatically.

"Oh but my boy, you don't even know what I'm offering yet." Clyde cooed. He was enjoying the situation far too much; that was apparent. He circled around and Sam got his first good look at the man. He was a dark haired man with strikingly cold eyes that made Sam shiver. He'd seen those eyes in both Blaine and Rachel, though on them, they held warmth and laughter.

He might've been handsome, had it not been for the jagged wound that now marred his flawless complexion.

"I don't care."

"Not even if it meant survival?" Clyde asked.

Sam looked at him.

"Why would _you _want to offer me survival?" He asked.

"Because...you're the strongest amateur swordsman I've ever met. Stronger than Coal, or Riker, or Savannah. Not stronger than myself, and your movements are sporadic and untrained, but with a little honing, you could be an asset to our organization."

Sam glared at him.

"I'd rather die." He snapped.

"Oh come now child." Clyde circled around him and grabbed his shoulders, bringing his face in close to his ear. "Evil has its perks, my boy. Power beyond your wildest imagination, riches the likes you've never known...your mother would never have to work again."

"Don't do it...Sam..." Rachel coughed.

"Shut up!" Clyde snapped. "Who do you think you are? You know nothing of the wonders that can be obtained through my way of life!"

Rachel and Sam stared at him.

He didn't recognize her...she'd grown so much in the last decade, that she was no longer recognizable to her parents.

She supposed they'd never really cared enough to really look in the first place.

"So how 'bout it son?" Clyde asked.

Sam looked at Blaine's crumpled, unconscious form.

"Don't call me _son_." He spat. "And I'd rather die than join the likes of you."

Clyde glared at him coldly.

"That can be arranged." Clyde said, all friendliness gone from his tone. "I'm giving you one final chance boy. Join us...Everybody has a dark side."

"Maybe." Sam said. "Maybe you're right; maybe I do have a dark side."

Rachel looked shocked, and Clyde smiled expectantly.

"But I'm also strong enough to realize that it's better to die for the light in your heart, than it is to give in to the darkness."

Clyde growled and raised Rachel's spear to Sam's throat again.

"Have it your way than." He snarled and pulled back, looking towards the two soldiers. "Kill her first, let him watch."

Sam lunged forwards but Clyde grabbed his arms and kicked his knees in so that he fell to the ground. He struggled, but Clyde's grip was firm.

Rachel looked up tiredly as the two soldiers climbed in.

They raised their weapons together.

A howl froze everybody in place.

"What the...?" One of the soldiers looked up just in time for a large, boxy grey blur to plow him into the ground, sending his sword flying. He screamed as the wolf clamped down on his foot and began to drag him away towards the forest.

"Hey!" The other guard lunged forwards after his partner, but two thinner wolves stepped around the sides of the rock. Dimly, Rachel recognized them. She'd taught them both how to fish! "Now, back off!" The soldier stammered.

One of the wolves growled and he turned towards it, raising his sword. The other wolf pounced, sinking her teeth into his bicep and causing his weapon to tumble to the ground. The first wolf grabbed his opposite hand and dragged him off into the forest.

"What is going on?" Clyde asked, taking a faltering step backwards.

Sam dove forwards out of his reach and a grey blur leapt over his head.

The pack leader growled menacingly up at Clyde, who barred Rachel's spear bravely.

"Back off, you mutt!" Clyde snapped. "I've skinned worse than you in my day."

More growling joined the pack leaders as two other wolves stepped up on either side of him. Rachel looked up as the alpha female padded out from behind the boulder to stand protectively in front of her.

Clyde's eyes flicked from one wolf to the other, weighing his chances. He looked up at Sam and Rachel, eyes narrowed.

"Don't think I'm finished with you yet." He snapped and then turned and sprinted away into the meadow.

The pack leader barked and the two wolves on either side of him gave chase as he turned back to Sam, nuzzling him warmly. The alpha female licked Rachel's face and then turned and bounded off into the forest.

Sam stared off into the distance, eyes shimmering fearfully and jaw clenched. They'd been beaten. That fight would never count as a win. They'd lucked out, and that was all. Quinn had gone down first. She'd taken hit, after hit and still refused to stay down until her body gave out for her. Blaine was next, he'd tried to stay away from the close combat, but one heavy hit had knocked him under and cracked his skull! Then there was Rachel...she hadn't succumbed to unconsciousness, she'd had her eyes open, and had looked up as the end approached her. She'd looked death in the face, not with fear or with bravery, but with fatigue...

Sam felt responsible. It had been his responsibility to protect them! He'd started this war by challenging the King's rule. He didn't regret saving Quinn, and he never would, but the casualties seemed to be piling up; Mercedes, the Blacksmith, who knew how many citizens of Violetedge!

The two wolves returned, loping along in apparent frustration.

Sam sighed; Savannah, Riker, Coal, Ree, now Clyde. They were officially outnumbered, and that didn't even count the regular soldiers that patrolled the Kingdom in search of them!

"He got away huh?" Sam guessed.

The wolves nodded.

Sam shook his head and turned back to Rachel. His heart had stopped when she was on the brink of death, but watching her bleed out on the ground didn't offer him any comfort.

Rachel looked up as Sam rushed to her side, calling out to her. She was having trouble making out what he was saying, and everything was getting kind of fuzzy. She wondered if it would be alright to have a nap.

The pregnant wolf before her barked anxiously, and it wasn't long before the other wolves returned and dropped something to the ground. She smiled tiredly, as her groggy mind came to a groggy conclusion.

She had helped those wolves to survive. If she'd done as she was asked, they would all be dead; wolves and humans alike. All she had to do was take a chance on them, and they would return the favor.

Maybe there really was good in the world.

That was the last thing Rachel thought before she gave in to the fatigue, Sam's frantic cries nothing but a far off drone.

* * *

_**I like this chapter! :D Santana is a BAMF, and don't think you've seen the last of her. Quinn and Santana's scene in the barn is my favourite. You might be starting to see some trends, how, one piece of good advice can mean a thousand things to a thousand different people, for example. The Nurse told Blaine and Rachel that they didn't have to be big to chase giant dreams, and that advice translated to Quinn, Sam and Santana. Nice huh? **_

_**Did anybody catch the Into The Woods reference? **_

_**Next chapter; an old character returns and leads the team back into dangerous waters, one fugitive can't shake their near miss against Clyde, another character decides that it's time to break free, and everybody is tested when they have to choose between what is good and what is right. **_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey, so...I don't want to be 'that guy', but nobody reviewed the last chapter. While, that's cool and whatever, I'd really like to know that I'm not wasting my time putting this up. I mean, I really like it, but it'd be nice to get some feedback, so tell me if you like the songs being used, or how you felt when this character did whatever, or how you don't like that this happened, or whatever! Please? I really DO like this story, and I'd really like to continue it, but I probably won't if nobody reviews it._****  
**

**Breaking Free**

Santana wiped sweat from her forehead and set the pitchfork against the wall of the barn. She waved to the horses- now with freshly straw-laden stalls- and stepped out into the cool afternoon air.

She smiled and breathed in deeply, content with her work and glanced up towards the house.

She froze.

There were people at the door.

She took off towards the house, eager to meet them, half hoping that Sam's troop had returned to recruit her. As she approached however, she realized two things; one; there were only two figures at the door, and two; they were talking quite intensely to her father.

She watched as her father stepped aside and ushered them in.

"Hey!" She yelled as he turned to follow them.

He stopped and turned back, looking exasperated.

"What?" He asked.

"Who are they?" She asked, trying to peek past him. He blocked her way.

"They're looking for two of those kids that left the other day; Quinn and Sam I think they said something about official business that I shouldn't worry about." He frowned at her. "You're not to talk to them; you've had enough adventure for a lifetime. I know those kids didn't kill those wolves, I don't have to protect them!"

"You can't just give them up like that!" Santana said. "They dealt with the wolves, without killing them!"

"Well that's not what I asked them to do!" The farmer bellowed.

"They did _your_ work, on _your_ farm, just because they felt like they owed it to you! They could easily have overpowered and killed us both, but they were good people! You can't sell them out for nothing!" Santana scowled.

"And I won't." The farmer said.

Santana blinked.

"What?"

"Not for nothing! Once those two help out around the farm, however, I have every intention of pointing them in the right direction."

* * *

Sam squinted through the canopy of foliage at the sun setting on the horizon far ahead.

"We have to reach Ostvale as quickly as we can. They know we're in the area now!" He frowned.

"You're right." Quinn frowned, stepping over a large gnarled root farther to his left.

"If we keep moving through the night, we can cover more ground." He suggested.

"And it'll take even less time to kill us all when we're too tired to fight back..." Blaine said bitterly. Rachel and Sam exchanged a worried look. "We have to keep our strength up, either that or make friends with more ferocious woodland creatures."

After their close call, the wolves had returned with first aid supplies from the soldiers, and natural remedies from the forest itself. After Quinn awoke, thankfully without any permanent damage past a mild headache, the two of them had fixed up the others with a sewing kit found in one of the first aid kits.

Quinn had insisted on taking care of Blaine. Seeing him so close to death had terrified her more than she could explain. Blaine's head was now all stitched up, however, and Sam's nose was healing nicely. Rachel's arm had taken a bit of work, but it too was almost like new, though it would scar permanently.

The night had been stressful for both Quinn and Sam as they sat in silence, waiting and praying that the siblings would wake up, both mentally replaying what more they could've done, blaming themselves for the entire ordeal.

Blaine awoke just before dawn with a splitting headache and a relieved hug from Quinn. He'd at once been concerned for his sister, but once the initial shock wore off; he regressed into a silent, brooding mess. Even Rachel's eventual awakening did nothing to improve his mood.

Two days had passed since the ambush, and Sam had forced them all to travel by forest. It was tedious to crawl through the undergrowth, but the siblings had experience and were in their element in the woods. Each night, one of them would scale a tree and keep a look out, just in case.

Nobody deluded themselves into thinking they were safe.

Despite the anxiety and exercise, they were all fairly content that they had made it out alive! Each of them blamed themselves slightly, but acknowledged that it was in the past. Each of them-that was-except for Blaine.

For two days he had silently trudged along, trailing behind them. Both nights he'd offered to take watch, and his normally cheerful persona was gone. Whenever any of them tried to talk to him, he'd snap that he was fine and then walk off into the brush. Only Rachel could properly trail him, and the one time that she'd found him sitting at the edge of a small stream, they'd ended up in a screaming match.

He'd apologized that night, and she'd returned the favor, but his mood did not improve.

"Blaine..." Sam sighed. "It doesn't do any good to be so negative."

"Well it clearly didn't help being positive, seeing as that almost got us killed."

"It wasn't because we were happy, that we got ambushed." Quinn frowned. "It's because we were stupid."

Blaine looked at Quinn, frowned, looked at the ground, looked back at her, and promptly walked away, mumbling something about patrolling the area while they set up camp.

"Okay, I'm getting really annoyed with him." Rachel said.

"Yeah...He's just going through something..." Sam tried to defend him weakly.

"Well it's not very productive." Quinn frowned. "I mean, I get that he's clearly upset about the ambush. I get that he saw his father for the first time since he sentenced him for death. I get that he's upset that he got knocked out. I get all that." She said.

"Right." Rachel said. "But it doesn't help, if he's not willing to talk about it!"

"He will, just give him time!" Sam sighed.

On the other side of a tree, mere feet from where they stood, Blaine buried his face in his hands.

* * *

That night, Santana's dreams were filled with images of her mother.

_"What do I do Mom?" She asked. _

_ "I think you know Santana." Her mother laughed knowingly._

_ "But how do I know it's the right thing to do?" Santana asked doubtfully, looking down. Her mother stepped forwards and tilted her head up. _

_ "What does your heart tell you?" She asked. _

_ "My heart...?" She asked. She paused and listened, closing her eyes. _

_ She saw herself wrapped in golden chains in a dark room, looking up into the laughing eyes of her father. It was symbolic, she realized suddenly. He'd trapped her in his world for so long...chained her with his cutting words and violent temper._

_ "My heart tells me that it's time for me to break free." She said, nodding._

_ "Then show me." Her mother's voice echoed._

_ She clenched her fists and watched as the shackles around her wrists shattered. _

_ Her father's eyes turned dark as the clasps around her ankles and neck were destroyed and pulled back into the darkness. She took a deliberate step into the darkness and the evil eyes of her overbearing father faded away. _

_ "Mom?" She asked. _

_ "Yes child?"_

_ "It's so dark out there..." She whispered. _

_ "The darkness is necessary. Without darkness, you would never find the light. Go now, you've got a long road ahead of you."_

* * *

_Sam was dreaming again, but this time, he wasn't happy. _

_ He saw Brittney in his dream, and jolted. _

_ "Brittney?" His dream self-whispered, walking towards his friend._

_ "Hi Sam." Brittney smiled nonchalantly. _

_ The scene in front of Sam flickered suddenly and he saw a flash of red before Brittney returned. _

_ "What are you doing here?" He asked. _

_ "My dreams are boring, I thought I'd come see yours." She shrugged. _

_ "Seriously?" Sam asked. _

_ "No!" Brittney said. "I don't know why I'm here, it's your dream!" _

_ Another flash, this time Sam saw a broken window and the flash of a sword. _

_ "Did you see that?" He asked. _

_ "Not yet." Brittney shrugged again. _

_ "Yet?"_

_ The evil scowling face of a black haired teenager. She lunged forwards with a sword and another blade clashed with hers, stopping her short. _

_ Brittney smiled and turned to walk away. _

_ "Wait! Brittney! What do you mean, yet!" He yelled. _

_ "Don't worry about it! You've got plenty of journey to go!" _

_ "Wait!" Sam rushed forwards after her, but she was gone. Suddenly, Sam felt his instincts kick in. There was somebody near. He jumped in surprise as something grabbed his arm._

Sam shot up, immediately looking at his arm, where Blaine was shaking him.

Blaine withdrew his hands and blinked back what Sam was almost certain were tears.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, legitimately concerned. He looked past Blaine where Rachel and Quinn were both contentedly sleeping, none the wiser.

Blaine shook his head and his lip quivered.

"Can you help me?" Blaine asked hoarsely.

"Yeah! Definitely!" Sam turned towards him, worried and attentive. "What do you need?"

"When my fa- when we were ambushed..." He started. "I was overpowered so easily!" He frowned and looked at the ground by his feet, as if ashamed.

"We were all overpowered, don't feel bad." Sam said. "It's not your fault we lost!"

Blaine shook his head.

"No, that's not..." He took a deep breath. "I lost because I don't know how to fight." He said, quite obviously embarrassed.

"What are you talking about?" Sam laughed. "You're the best archer I've ever met!"

"That's not the same. I know how to hunt, but I can't fight." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"As soon as that soldier got too close, I was done, I had nothing. I tried to kick him away, and even my kicking was sloppy and awkward."

"So...you want me to help you learn to fight up close?" Sam guessed.

Blaine nodded.

"Why me?" Sam asked. "Rachel's just as good, if not better." He laughed.

"I'm too ashamed to ask her...we had to fight to stay alive for so long, and my first ever hand to hand combat almost got me killed..." He sighed. "At least she stayed conscious."

Sam smiled at the other boy.

"I'll teach you." He stood up. "Come on."

* * *

Santana nodded to herself determinedly as she shoved the last of her shirts into an old leather satchel of her mothers. She'd found it buried deep in her father's closet, and couldn't help but feel that...well...

She was finally going on the adventure that her mother always had dreamed of taking her on; and now...it was like she was taking a little piece of her mother with her.

She'd spent the entire night deciding what to take, and rigging her belts so that they functioned as holsters for the two half-swords that she'd discovered stashed in the back of the barn. Her father had bought them for her mother to use for protection on her outings, but she refused the gifts. Perhaps, if she hadn't, she'd have survived.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon and the rooster in their chicken coop began to crow, she turned to face the door.

Her father stood staring at her with a red-face and wild eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled.

She stepped up to meet him.

"Could you move, please?" She asked politely as she slipped the leather satchel over her shoulder. She looked up at him expectantly but he didn't budge.

"I told you you're not going on some stupid suicide mission." He said.

"And I'm ignoring you. Could you move?"

"Like hell I'm moving!" He snapped.

So Santana drew one of her swords.

He stared at her, breathing heavily, nostrils flared.

"Those were a gift to your mother." He snapped.

"Yeah, well, she's not gonna use them anymore." Santana said coldly. "Somebody has to."

"No, somebody doesn't!" The farmer snapped.

Santana took a step forwards and he jerked backwards. She seized her opportunity and slipped past him into the hallway, briskly walking away towards the front door.

"Get back here! If you leave this farm I'll, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Santana snapped, turning back around and glaring at him.

"I'll disown you. You walk out that door, and you will never be able to call yourself my daughter again." He snapped, but she could tell that he was panicking. She raised her eyebrows and laughed.

"I haven't called myself your daughter in a long time." She said coldly and turned around. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder and she whipped around, sword outstretched. "Don't touch me." She snapped.

He glared at her, jaw clenched, veins in his neck bulging.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked coldly.

"Because I can." She said. "For the first time in my life, I have the chance to do something right. To help good people survive. My life here is comfortable, yeah, but it's worthless!"

"You take my horses and I'll have the authorities after you faster than you can say 'giddy up!'" He challenged. She leaned in close to him.

"Walking is good exercise." She turned away from him, stepping out the front door and onto the porch. As she descended the stairs he stopped in the doorway, yelling after her.

"You're being an idiot! You won't survive out there and I'm not going to come looking for you!" He yelled. She ignored him. "You're just some farm girl, you've got nothing to offer that world! Get your ass inside."

She stopped.

"That's what I thought." He smirked and leaned against the doorframe expectantly.

She turned around and looked at him.

"You don't have to be big..." She started. "To chase giant dreams."

She turned on her heel and walked away.

* * *

Blaine smiled and panted as he looked across at where Sam was standing crouched and bouncing back and forth from foot to foot.

"Alright, we'll do it again. Remember, don't forget about your feet when you move your arms, that'll leave you wide open to attack." He said. "Keep your wits about you, and rely on your senses. It's just as useful to hear an attack coming as it is to see it. You can sense it too! If there's a part of you that's open to attack, you can bet that the enemy will be targeting it. Watch your own back!" Sam said.

"Alright!" Blaine bit his lip excitedly and raised his arms in preparation.

Sam laughed and took off towards him, sprinting at him. As he neared, Blaine pivoted and brought his elbow around to the back of his head. Sam ducked and moved to uppercut but Blaine jumped back and then twisted, round kicking towards his side.

Sam pivoted out of the way and brought his arm around towards the side of Blaine's head, but he ducked it and tackled Sam from the side, knocking them both to the side. Sam pulled out a small stick that they were pretending was a dagger and shoved it upwards, but Blaine planted his hands on the ground in front of him and flipped over Sam's head, landing on his feet and turning back around, panting heavily.

Sam rocked backwards and sprang to his feet, pivoting around as Blaine came at him and swinging his foot to kick towards him. Blaine grabbed his ankle and Sam twisted, bringing his other foot up and swinging it towards Blaine's face.

The other boy bent backwards to avoid it, but Sam's other foot came free and he successfully managed to kick him in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Sam held out his hands to catch himself and pushed back up to a standing position, turning and tackling Blaine, who lifted his hands and feet to catch Sam and throw him over his head.

Sam turned around and found the dagger-stick pressed against his heart. Blaine looked up at him, breathless and flushed, but grinning from ear to ear. Sam looked at him proudly and looked down at the empty sheath where the stick had been stored. Blaine had slipped it from his belt when he tackled him.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Angels and Airwaves: The Adventure-**

Sam grinned at him and took the stick back.

"That was awesome!" He said happily.

"I know!" Blaine's grin looked like it might break his face. "Thank you so much Sam, I really appreciate it!"

"Anytime!" Sam waved him off and sighed, plopping down on the ground to rest. "We're going to have to work as a team if we're going to get through this." He said.

"I'm sorry I was all depressed." Blaine laughed, sitting down next to him.

Sam smiled at him. "It's okay! Just, don't keep it to yourself next time! We _want _to help you, you just have to ask!" He laughed, looking out at the sunrise. "We can't do this without you."

Blaine smiled softly and looked at the ground.

"We're fighters. We'll survive." He said.

Sam turned to him, nodding.

"I know."

* * *

As Santana walked, she couldn't help but smile to herself. She turned to walk backwards, just so she could watch the farm disappear into the horizon. She was doing it; she was taking hold of her own destiny.

Santana was a fighter, _and _a lover. She was determined, and strong, and _independent. _She was Santana Lopez, and she was a lot more than just the farmer's daughter.

She turned back around, striding purposefully into the sunrise as the wind whipped her hair around behind her, stepping to a beat in her head. She'd ripped her hair out of the ponytail, allowing it to be free.

She nodded to herself again, smiling with the kind of infectious drive that only freedom could bring. She could barely contain her determination, so she opened her mouth, and she started to sing.

_"I wanna have the same last dream again! The one where I wake up, and I'm alive!" _She grinned and looked over same shoulder at where the farmhouse had disappeared. _"Just as the four walls closed me within, my eyes were opened up with pure sunlight!"_

* * *

_ "I'm the first to know, my dearest friend!" _Blaine sang, turning to Sam. _"Even if your hope has burned with time, anything that's dead shall be re-grown, and your vicious pain, your warning sign. You will be fine!"_

* * *

Santana turned back to the road again and smiled, lifting her chin to the wind.

_"Hey oh, here I am..." _She nodded. _"And here we go; life's waiting to begin..."_

* * *

Blaine looked over as Sam rose to his feet, slowly, methodically, smiling at the thoughts mulling about in his head, and looked out at the rising sun. Sam opened his mouth to sing.

_"Any type of love it will be shown, like every single tree reach for the sky!" _He turned to Blaine and grabbed his hands, pulling him to his feet. _"If you're gonna fall, I'll let you know, that I will pick you up like you for I...I felt this thing, I can't replace!" _He sang, letting him go and turning to look out at the horizon again, Blaine stood beside him. _"Where everyone was working for this goal! Where all the children left without a trace, only to come back as pure as gold! To recite this all!"_

* * *

_"Hey oh, here I am..." _Santana sang. _"And here we go; life's waiting to begin..." _

She paused and thought back to her dream with her mother.

_"Tonight..." _She nodded. _"Hey oh here I am, and here we go, life's waiting to begin...Tonight, hey oh, here I am!" _She held out her arms. _"And here we go, life's waiting to begin."_

* * *

_"I cannot live; I can't breathe unless you do this with me!" _Sam sang, turning to his friend.

_"I can't breathe!" _Blaine and Santana sang simultaneously.

_"I cannot live; I can't breathe unless you do this with me!" _Sam repeated, grinning.

_"I can't breathe!" _The other two sang beneath him.

_"I cannot live; I can't breathe unless you do this with me!" _Sam let his hand brush against his sword.

_"I can't breathe!" _Blaine looked at the stick in his hand.

_ "I cannot live; I can't breathe unless you do this with me!" _Sam turned back as the sun rose higher into the sky.

_"I can't breathe!" _Santana's hand brushed the clasp of her leather bag; she looked up at the rising sun.

_ "I cannot live; I can't breathe unless you do this with me!" _

_"I can't breathe!" _

_ "I cannot live; I can't breathe unless you do this with me!"_

_"I can't breathe!" _

_ "Yeah oh!" _Santana belted, breaking into a run. _"Here I am!" _

_"Do this with me!" _Blaine and Sam sang, turning to one another and grinning determinedly.

_"Here we go, life's waiting to begin!" _She grinned as her feet pounded against the dirt.

_ "Do this with me!" _They nodded.

_ "Hey oh, here I am!" _

_ "Do this with me!"_

_ "And here we go, life's waiting to begin." _Santana continued to run as the boys, far away in a different part of the land, joined her for the final line. _"Life's waiting to begin."_

* * *

Quinn smiled as she looked around their campsite. Four days had passed since Blaine's bad mood mysteriously disappeared, and they were gelling even better than before. They'd developed a sort of system, where each night, Rachel and Sam would prepare food and make shelter while Quinn and Blaine went out to scavenge for supplies for the next night.

They continued to sleep in shifts, but they did so in a way that put two people awake at a time, so nobody was bored, lonely or had too much time to think by themselves. Sam, the unofficial leader, always took first watch with Rachel, his equally as unofficial second-in-command, so that the other two could wind down from a hard day of travel. As the strongest, the two of them found it easy to bond with one another, and when she ignored the frantic pounding of her heart when he got too close, she found their conversations quite enjoyable.

After a while, he would turn in and she'd rouse Quinn from her sleep. The two had become best friends, and Quinn trusted Rachel with her life, even if they'd only met a month prior, and in less than ideal circumstances. They found it easy to talk, and reacted similarly to most situations.

When Rachel tired, Quinn would wake up her brother, and they'd sit and talk until the first specks of light began to spill over the horizon. Blaine and Quinn had an interesting relationship, and the tension in the air between them was almost palpable. With each day that passed they grew closer and closer and she often found herself staring at the Cupid's Rose, wondering if there was any truth to the old legend.

When Quinn retired at daybreak, Sam and Blaine would set about disassembling camp; hiding their tracks, snuffing out the fire, recollecting any goods they'd taken out, and anything else that was necessary. When that was finished, they'd wake the girls and move on.

"We're almost to Ostvale." Sam said. "We should get to the bridge by tomorrow."

"Will we get to see your hometown?" Blaine asked, popping a handful of berries in his mouth.

Quinn looked uneasy.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Right, they'll probably expect you to go back, huh?" Rachel nodded, pursing her lips. "That's terrible, I'm so-"

A twig snapped.

They all froze.

Their ambush had kept them all alert, and it was getting easier and easier for them to distinguish between an animal approaching their campsite, and a fellow human. Another crack brought them all to their feet.

This was definitely a human in the woods around them.

Sam locked eyes with the others and began pointing off in various directions. One by one they melted away into the foliage and he turned, slipping through a pair of close growing trees, drawing his sword and letting it point the way.

He heard another snap and adjusted his course, heading closer to the direction that Quinn had headed off in. He crept slowly; his time in the woods had made his footfalls soft, and it wasn't long before he was almost on top of the rustling person.

He leapt out with a yell, both to frighten the attacker and alert the other three to his position, and promptly stopped short as Santana screamed.

"Fuck, what the hell are you tryin' to do to me?" She asked.

"I...what? Sorry?" He blinked in confusion. Blaine stepped into view, blinking in confusion.

"I guess I forgive you this time guppy face. _So_, what's goin' on?" She asked.

Quinn and Rachel appeared silently and looked on, Rachel with wonder and Quinn with blatant amusement. Santana looked from person to person before breaking down.

"Okay! I couldn't help it! I had to follow you! I know you said it's dangerous, but I'm a tough ass bitch! Nobody messes with Aunty Tana." She said. "Some people showed up on my doorstep asking about you, it was practically my duty to warn you that you were being followed!" She raised her hands as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, accidentally almost stabbing Sam in the eye with one of her swords.

"Whoa!"

"My bad..."

"Quinn..." Rachel said slowly. "Remember Violetedge...there was somebody creeping around through the ruins. What if they saw us leave?"

"We made pretty good time; we should've left them behind." Blaine said.

"But we lost a lot of time at the farm." Sam added.

"Oh yeah..." Blaine nodded, looking worried.

"Santana..." Rachel started. "It's not safe for you to join us." She looked at the farm girl sympathetically.

"I'm not afraid." She said honestly.

"What about your father?" Blaine asked.

Santana looked at Quinn.

"It's time for me to start living life for me..."

"That's easier said than done." Rachel smiled.

"You don't have to be big to chase giant dreams." Santana looked at her pointedly, and she took a startled step backwards.

Rachel looked at Quinn who smiled and shrugged, then looked at the ground, then back to Santana. She smiled.

"Welcome to our army." Quinn said finally.

* * *

**The Boy On The Bridge**

"There it is..." Quinn said nervously.

Falcon Bridge, which had served as a beacon of escape the first time they'd crossed it, now appeared to be little more than a harsh reality check.

The five of them wandered slowly onto the bridge, their boots clicking on the moonlit cobblestones.

"Where's your friend?" Blaine asked, looking around.

Sam crossed to one of the railings of the bridge and looked over the edge, frowning.

"I...I don't see him." He frowned.

Quinn stepped past him, eyes on the horizon where she knew Ostvale was. Her family was there, her friends. She swallowed nervously and Rachel approached her as Blaine moved to the opposite entrance of the bridge, bow drawn and eyes sharp. Santana took his cue and moved to the Ostvale-end, drawing her swords and examining the forest.

"I'm assuming that's where you came from, huh?" Rachel whispered gently.

Quinn crossed her arms and nodded, blinking back tears. She'd cried too much on this journey already.

"You'll see them again..." Rachel reassured her, rubbing her arms.

Quinn shrugged and turned away, shaking her head and looking over the other edge of the bridge at the rushing waters of the Ostvale River below.

"Maybe." She sighed.

Rachel frowned and turned away, crossing slowly to the other side of the bridge, where Sam hadn't moved.

"We need to get away from here..." She whispered. "We're too close to your home, it's upsetting Quinn."

Sam glanced over his shoulder at his friend, and then off in the distance towards Ostvale. His dream flashed back to him and his hands tightened on the railing.

"Brittney's there...she's in danger..." Without thinking he started off in that direction.

Blaine looked over his shoulder with a look of confusion as Sam started off towards the opposite side of the bridge.

"Sam stop it!" Rachel reached for his arm to pull him back, but he broke free again as Quinn turned to look at her friend with hope in her eyes. She followed after him quickly but Santana turned and blocked the exit.

"What's going on?" She asked, turning to look past them at Rachel.

"Yeah, what's happening?" Blaine asked, turning fully and jogging up to the other three.

Quinn stayed silent and continued to watch Sam hopefully. She wasn't going to be the one to suggest going home, but she wanted to more than anything!

"I have to find Brittney, she's in danger!"

"What?" Quinn whispered, stepping towards him and resting a hand on his arm.

"How do you know?" Blaine asked, but he didn't sound like he doubted him, so Sam counted that as a good sign.

"I..." He paused and turned to look at Rachel; she was the realist of their group. If anybody were to doubt him, it would be her. "I had a dream."

"A dream?" Santana asked, flashing back to her own dream, with her mother guiding her.

Sam looked at Quinn, then back at Rachel.

"It's not the first dream I've had on this journey. Early on, I had a dream of a bar being invaded, and then running through the woods. Something silver blurred through the air, and then I saw you." He said looking at Rachel. "Then there were wolves, and a scar-faced man, and a dragon."

He saw Blaine reach into his quiver and pull out one of his silver-tipped arrows, as if in realization. Sam nodded and Rachel looked between them.

"That's how you knew something bad was going to happen!" Quinn said. "You dreamt it!"

"Exactly!" Sam nodded.

"Wait, the wolves, I get, but what about the other two things? The scar-faced man and the dragon?" Santana asked. She wasn't analysing the validity of his dreams, she was analysing potential future threats. She, of all people, believed that dreams were more powerful than they seemed.

"I cut your father's face before they won..." Sam whispered to Rachel, putting two and two together.

Blaine swallowed deeply. "So I take it we haven't seen the last of him..." His eyes were cold.

"I guess not." Sam agreed. "But if all of that was true, then why would this dream be a lie! I don't know why I had them, but I-"

"I did too." Santana interrupted him.

They turned to look at her and she frowned.

"That's why I'm here..." She said, crossing from behind Sam and standing beside Quinn.

Sam nodded and turned back to Rachel.

"See? Dreams are powerful, and Brittney's one of my best friends! If she's in danger, I have to help her."

"I understand that but...the soldiers will expect you to return to Ostvale!" Rachel insisted. Blaine nodded, but they both looked torn between doing what was safe and what was right.

"Right..." Blaine said sadly. "I mean, we came here to find your friend right, and then he was supposed to help us find the way?"

"Yeah, but he's not here!" Sam let his frustrations win out. "We really needed his help!" He cried.

"Sorry! I was eating..."

Sam let out a cry of surprise and jumped forwards, whipping around and drawing his sword. He looked from side to side and saw that Santana, Blaine and Quinn all had their weapons drawn. Rachel looked ready to fist-fight if it came to it, though she hadn't drawn her daggers.

"What?" Finn raised his arms, shrugging overdramatically and giving them a cheesy smile.

"Stop doing that!" Quinn cried.

"Where did you even come from?" Blaine laughed.

_"Uh..._" Finn started. "Well, my mom and my-"

"Never mind!" Blaine yelled, turning and moving to the back of the group so that he could watch the opposite entrance again.

"Is this the guy?" Rachel asked.

Sam nodded. Finn looked at their group critically.

"You've grown since last time! What happened to-"

"He's dead." Sam said.

Finn nodded awkwardly, eyes wide, flickering from side to side.

"Uh...Do you know you're being followed?" He asked, as if that were a better conversation topic.

Blaine tensed near the back, preparing an arrow and examining the countryside beyond the bridge. He didn't see anybody.

"We know." Santana said.

"But how do _you _know?" Rachel asked him.

"I can sense it!" Finn wiggled his fingers in a gesture that was probably supposed to symbolize magic. "They're getting closer though, so we should probably get going..." He sighed, almost in disappointment.

Sam nodded and got down to business. They could address the Brittney issue when they were safe again, but for now, in such an open bottle-neck location, they had to be quick.

"We're going to fight the King-" He said.

"And you'll die, because you're not strong enough." Finn cut him off. Sam scowled.

"We know that, there are only five of us."

"Six." Finn said.

Sam paused. "Five...Quinn, Rachel, Blaine, Santana and I..."

"Six!" Finn said pointedly. "I'm gonna join you!"

"Wait, what?" Santana blinked.

"If you want to beat the King, you'll need magic!" He crouched low and wiggled his fingers again. "I'm a wizard and that's sort of...badass, you know? Right?" He asked.

"It's too dangerous. You-" Quinn started.

"Hey!" Finn cut her off. "I'm a fugitive too, okay? Calm down. I'm _going _to join you, mostly because, I have nothing better to do and you need me." He smiled broadly and Sam raised an eyebrow, blinking curiously.

"Wha...umm...okay?" He asked.

"Wow! It wasn't that easy for me to join!" Santana complained.

Quinn stepped forwards. "Wait, what about Marley?" She asked.

"What about Marley?" Finn asked.

"You said we weren't strong enough, what if we-"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Finn raised his hands and pushed Quinn back to her spot beside Santana, shaking his head. "Whoa...The King knows how powerful Marley is, and he has guards on her at all times. If _you_ want to fight your way through _them _you'll need more manpower."

Rachel looked at him and crossed her arms.

"Who do you have in mind?" She asked.

"There's another man we have to find, strongest dude in the kingdom! He rejected the army's proposal to join them, and he's been living in a cave ever since!" He said.

"Do you know how to find this man?" Sam asked.

"Nope!" Finn shrugged and turned away, walking off the bridge towards the Ostvale Forest. He turned back to them and glared pointedly. "Come on!"

"Wait, what?" Santana asked.

"You need weapons!"

"We have weapons..." Sam said. Rachel coughed.

Finn glared at him.

"No, you and that chick have weapons." He pointed at Santana. "The rest of you have shit."

Blaine and Quinn raised their bows and blinked curiously.

"No offense."

"So...what are you suggesting?" Sam asked.

"You're the Blacksmith's Apprentice right?" Finn asked, and then continued without waiting for an answer. "Let's go to your shop and then you can make them something good, and then I'll tell you how we can find the strongest man in the Kingdom!"

Without another word, he stalked off into the forest.

Quinn stepped up next to Sam.

"What do we do?" She asked.

He turned to look at Rachel.

"We have to..." He said.

She shook her head and started forwards.

"Fine..." She said. "I just hope we're not walking into a trap."

* * *

Finn proved to be an interesting addition to the team in the four days of travel between Falcon Bridge and Ostvale.

The five of them only travelled by night, sleeping during the day, and while Finn was quick with dimwitted and often humorous quips, he often became irritating when serious discussions began.

Blaine had nearly throttled him one day when Finn had sarcastic comments while the taller boy had been filling Santana in on their journey between her farm and her re-arrival. He'd just reached the part where he'd been knocked unconscious and Finn had begun commenting on the fact that he'd technically been incapacitated by an inanimate object.

Santana had been quick to shut him down and send him on his way, but it still took another fifteen minutes of listening to Blaine rant about their new recruit for them to move on.

In addition to his quirky sometimes-appreciated-sometimes-loathed behavior, Finn was the oldest of their group. He was also the greatest individual. Whereas the others made tight bonds almost immediately, Finn preferred to be aloof, and when things got too personal for his liking, he just turned into an asshole.

Unfortunately, nobody could piece together why Finn was the way he was...

They supposed that he would tell them when he was ready.

"Home again..." Sam whispered as the fourth night fell and he found himself staring up at the large gate that he'd hastily climbed over two months ago. Though standing before it again, it almost felt like he'd never really left.

"I'll get to see my mother again..." Quinn whispered, blinking back tears.

"_No._" Finn said. "We're getting weapons! And then we're getting out."

"You can't just force them to come here and refuse to let them see their families." Santana snapped. Finn glared at her; the two of them were anything but friends.

"It _is _safer if they don't though..." Rachel admitted. "I'm not saying no but...let's play it by ear, okay?" She asked sympathetically. Quinn bit her lip but nodded.

"Alright. So, over this fence?" Santana asked, stepping up to it. Sam nodded and she planted her foot, hastily scaling the structure. Finn was next and awkwardly clambered over.

Rachel smiled at Sam and Quinn and gestured for them to go first.

Quinn stepped up first, grabbing the gate so hard that it hurt her hand. She looked through it at the storefronts and houses that she'd grown up with. In the distance she could see the fountain where she sometimes sat.

Her house was nearby; she could practically see it from her vantage point.

Taking a deep breath she put one foot above the other. She had just made it to the top when a soldier appeared.

"You there!" He yelled.

Santana and Finn froze.

The soldier approached with a torch in hand and waved it over their faces. Blaine dove to one side of the gate, Sam and Rachel leapt to the other. Quinn froze and began to hyperventilate at the top.

"Us?" Santana smiled sweetly, trying not to show her fear.

"Yes, what do you think you're doing?" The soldier asked.

"Just, going for a walk officer!" She said.

"That's right!" Finn nodded. "Limbering up!" He proceeded to do some squats until Santana smacked him upside the head and he straightened up.

"Really? Going for a walk? After hours?" The soldier snapped.

"After hours?" Santana asked sweetly.

The soldier stared at them both.

"If you were from around here, you would know that nobody was permitted to be out and about after night. The ban has been in place for two months now, since the criminal activity perpetrated by some civilians here." The soldier snapped.

Santana pursed her lips and floundered, looking for an excuse. Eventually she settled for slapping Finn.

"Ow!" He gawked.

"I told you going for a walk was a bad idea!" She snapped.

"What the hell?" He scowled.

The soldier looked at them both doubtfully.

"You're gonna have to come with me." The soldier said, grabbing Finn's wrists and pulling them behind his back.

He whistled and two other soldiers appeared from out of the darkness. Santana backed into the gate and looked at them both. She darted to one side, then to the other, but it was to no avail. The soldiers grabbed her, spun her around and began forcing her away.

"What do we do?" Rachel hissed. "I knew this was a bad idea!"

"I don't know!" Sam swallowed nervously. "They'll be taking them to the jail!"

"Well we have to get them back..." Blaine whispered, crossing to them as the soldiers vanished into the darkness. "And it wouldn't hurt to fix up our weapons while we're here." Blaine suggested.

Sam nodded, looking up at Quinn who was looking back at them. He waved for her to climb down the other side and she nodded.

Five minutes later the four of them were crouched in the shadows within the city limits.

"What's the plan?" Quinn asked.

"We should split up." Rachel said. "Sam can go start working on the weaponry; Quinn can lead somebody to the jail. We're going to have to break them out..." She murmured.

"Looks like we're _actually _about to become criminals." Quinn remarked.

"I don't think it counts if we're not breaking out real criminals." Blaine said. "I'll go with Quinn." He added.

Sam nodded.

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"You don't have a solid weapon; if it comes to a fight I'll be able to protect her more easily." He said. "No offense."

"None taken, you're right." She said. "I'll go with Sam and he can make me a weapon first. I'll keep watch while he works just in case they're staking out the Blacksmith's place too."

They all nodded and silence descended upon them. They didn't want to leave, just in case either mission went south.

Sam realized yet again that it had fallen to him to be the leader, so he stood, and the others joined him.

"Good luck." He said nervously.

"You too." Quinn nodded.

Blaine turned and she followed him off into the darkness.

Sam nodded and breathed out deeply, turning and heading up the street with Rachel in tow.

* * *

Santana cried out as she was shoved to the ground inside of the Ostvale jail. She scowled and looked over her shoulder at the three soldiers who leered down at her.

"You can't just throw me in here for no reason!" She yelled, standing up and glaring at them as they slammed the door closed.

One of the guards sauntered closer to her, smiling smugly.

"Watch us." He cooed.

She scowled and swung her foot through the bars, nailing him between the legs.

Finn burst into maniacal laughter from the cell across from her as the man cried out and fell to the ground.

"Bitch!" The soldier gasped as he writhed.

The other two soldiers rushed forwards and drew their swords.

Santana scowled and backed against the wall, hands up in a defensive position. Her eyes flitted towards the table in the corner where her swords were being held.

Finn snapped his fingers and a small bolt of electricity zapped one of the soldiers in the butt. He gasped and jumped forwards, inadvertently smashing his head against the bars of Santana's cage.

He grabbed his head and staggered backwards, groaning and glaring at the boy.

"A mage..." He grumbled. "Are you registered?" He asked.

"Uh...no. Why? That's a thing?" Finn frowned and the soldiers exchanged a look with one another.

"An unregistered mage..." One of them mumbled.

"I'll go get the captain." The other said and fled the building as Santana's unfortunate victim managed to rise to his feet again, still glaring at her.

"You know what we do to mage's right?" The soldier glared at Finn.

Santana perked up. _She _didn't know what they did to mages. Perhaps now she'd discover why Finn was the way he was...

"Yeah, that's why I was in hiding, duh!" Finn rolled his eyes. The soldier narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Hiding? In Ostvale?" He asked.

"...Yes." Finn lied unconvincingly. Santana sighed, slumped down on the bench and buried her face in her hands. The jig was up, they'd been caught.

"I knew it! Where did you come from? Why are you in Ostvale?"

"We were just passing through!" Finn tried to save the situation.

"And you happened to scale the fence?"

"Fuck. We're running from the King." Santana swore and rose to her feat. "We don't like the way he's ruling things, so we're trying to get out of the Kingdom, but we ran out of supplies, so we were going to pillage from some fucking storefronts here." She said.

"What she said!" Finn nodded.

The soldiers grinned at one another and then one of them hurried away, insisting that the captain be informed.

"Your days are numbered kids..." The other soldier grinned and sat down at the desk next to Santana's swords, fingering the keys on his belt. "And that number is one."

**A Father's Redemption**

"This way..." Quinn whispered, creeping through an alley behind Brittney's father's store. She looked up at one of the windows of the house and pursed her lips. She wondered if Brittney was still living with her mother, or if she'd returned home after Quinn was forced to flee.

Blaine crept around the corner, bow drawn, running fleetly. Their experiences with the Imperial Soldiers thus far were not promising, and they were concerned for the safety of their companions.

"Wait!" Blaine hissed as Quinn turned another corner.

She gasped as she came face to face with a soldier.

"You there!" The soldier boomed. "What are you doing in the..."

He trailed off as he approached.

"You're the girl!" He yelled excitedly. "Hey! Hey!" He began to scream as loudly as he could. Quinn whipped her bow over her shoulders and shot an arrow at the man, silencing his cries.

Blaine swore and rushed into the area where she was, shooting off another arrow at a man who had turned a corner behind Quinn. He didn't stick around long enough to watch the man fall.

The two of them attempted to run the other way, but four other soldiers appeared, blocking their way. They turned back the other way, only to find even more enemies in their path.

"They're everywhere!" Blaine yelled as soldiers began to converge on their location.

"We can't take them all!" Quinn cried.

Quinn and Blaine held hands as they were backed into the stone wall of Ostvale's city limits.

* * *

Sam gawked at the ransacked remains of Bruce's shop.

The soldiers had torn the place apart looking for him, and there wasn't a surface in sight that wasn't completely destroyed. There was metal and glass littering the floor, and the tables had been turned to splinters.

Rachel's steps echoed in the demolished room as she came up beside him. She took his hand and brought her other hand to her mouth as she looked around at the destruction. For some reason, seeing the lone room so gutted was even more heartbreaking than the burned remains of Violetedge.

This was personal.

This was an army looking to do more than just kill a man; they were looking to rip him apart, piece by piece.

Sam didn't speak as he brushed his hands along the stone benches that had managed to withstand the abuse, and he looked at the fire place that looked like it had bore the brunt of the attack.

"Destroyed..." Sam whispered, looking around. Bruce was dead...and so was his business. It was as if the Imperial Army was determined to snuff out any and all remains of the fugitives. They truly wanted them incinerated; this was the army trying to make of them an example.

"Tragic, isn't it?" An unfamiliar voice echoed in the gutted room.

Sam and Rachel jumped in surprise; neither had heard the approach of another person. Sam shoved Rachel behind him and drew his sword, pointing it at a shadowy corner where the voice had come from.

Slowly, a worn looking old woman stepped out from the darkness, scars raking down her cheek and a permanent half-frown to her face from another jagged wound. She stared at them both challengingly before she noticed the blade itself.

"Bruce's sword..." The old woman whispered.

Sam looked from the sword to the woman and paused, flashing back to that night on a hilltop just outside of Ostvale long ago.

_Bruce was sitting on the hill, looking back towards town. _

_ "I have a wife, you know..." Bruce said, not taking his eyes off of Ostvale. "And two kids; a boy and a girl."_

"You're Bruce's wife..." Sam realized, stepping forwards and lowering his weapon.

"And you his apprentice..." The woman looked at him, tears in her eyes, but refusing to show sadness on her face.

"Yes." Sam nodded.

They all turned as the sound of footsteps approached. The woman turned back to Rachel and Sam and waved them over to her hastily.

"Follow me!" She said, turning and shoving against an old stone bench. It slid out of the way and revealed a staircase that descended underground. "Bruce created this in case the town was ever overtaken...I always called him paranoid for keeping those adventuring instincts..." She mumbled and then rushed down them, Rachel and Sam right behind her.

As soon as he was through, he reached back and pulled the bench back into place. Seconds later a soldier entered. He looked around the room and analyzed one of the stone benches. He peered at the streaks in the coat of dust and then rushed out of the room again.

* * *

Quinn ducked as a soldier lunged at her, narrowly cutting her back. She cried out as he flipped over her and landed on the ground behind her. She kicked him in the temple and he blacked out as she turned and drew her bow on another soldier that was approached.

He swung his sword and snapped her bow string before she could shoot.

Quinn swore and backed up; she looked to the side just as Blaine was thrown past her and into the wall of a nearby building. His head hit the wall and he stumbled away from it, dazed.

"Kid! Duck!" A new voice yelled and he blindly did so. A blade swept over his head and he gasped, tumbling backwards. The soldier leapt at him and Blaine caught him with his legs, flipping him backwards into the wall and then rolling out of the way as the soldier came crashing down where he'd landed initially.

Blaine jumped to his feet and looked at the house that he'd crashed into. A dark haired middle-aged man had stepped out onto his porch. The man was wielding a butcher's knife and looked willing to use it.

"Quinn!" The man yelled.

Quinn looked up and gasped as she recognized Brittney's father.

"Mr. Pierce?" She asked.

His eyes widened and he stepped forwards, throwing his butcher's knife. It caught the soldier that was attacking her in the side of the head and he hit the ground hard.

"This way! Hurry!" He yelled.

Blaine rushed forwards and vaulted the porch, turning and drawing his bow.

Quinn rushed forwards but screamed as another soldier stepped in the way. Blaine didn't hesitate to shoot him and Quinn pivoted around him as he fell to the ground.

She leapt up the stairs and in the door, Blaine following closely behind. Brittney's father slammed the door closed and jammed a heavy piece of wood through the handle and against the wall, keeping the soldiers from following them.

"That won't hold them for long." Brittney's father remarked, ushering Blaine and Quinn towards the front of the house. "What are you doing back in Ostvale? Are you crazy?"

"We were nearby, we needed weapons." Quinn explained hastily. "We wanted to see Brittney again too..."

"Well she's not here, and I don't have any weapons." Mr. Pierce continued. "Where's Sam?"

"Sam's off making the weapons." Quinn said.

"He'll find that difficult, the Blacksmith's place has been destroyed. Why aren't you with him?"

"We'd barely taken two steps into the city when some friends of ours were captured. We're trying to free them." Quinn said.

Brittney's father grabbed his jacket from a hook and ushered them towards a side-door that led into another alley.

"Alright, well we'd better hurry than haven't we?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"I made the mistake of letting my girl go, I was a bitter person and I've got a hell of a lot of repenting to do."

* * *

"So you're the mage..." The captain drawled.

Admittedly he wasn't nearly as intimidating to Finn as Coal and his niece had been. The captain was strong, that was clear, and he didn't take anything from anybody, but he was still fairly far down on the Imperial chain of command.

"You bet your ass I am." Finn said in what he referred to as his 'badass, inspiring leader voice'. Santana gave him an annoyed look from her cell.

"Well than we'll have to kill you." The man shrugged and Finn narrowed his gaze.

"How do you know you can?" He said.

The captain turned to look at him smugly.

"There is one magical being in this Kingdom that we haven't managed to kill, and the only reason we haven't killed her is because she's hiding in that little world of hers. We chased her into that tower, and there will be soldiers waiting for her to emerge when she inevitably does, you're here, however, and we managed to arrest you, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you'll be far easier to dispose of."

"Why are you killing mages?" Santana asked standing up off of the bench where she was seated in her cell.

The captain turned to glare at her.

"Was I talking to you?"

"Do I look like I care?" She asked back. Santana was not afraid of what was to come. She only wished her adventure could've gone on a little bit longer.

"You'd do well to hold your tongue in the presence of a superior." The captain snapped, drawing his sword.

"I'll keep that in mind for when I meet somebody superior to me." Santana tossed her hair and inspected her nails.

"That's _it_." The captain spat, holding his hand out towards one of the three soldiers accompanying him. One of them hastily deposited the keys in his hand.

He stepped forwards and smashed it into the lock, opening the door.

Santana backed into one of the corners, fully prepared to fight her way out as the three soldiers entered to apprehend her.

One of them lunged forwards and Santana's fist connected with his face, he stumbled backwards as the other two rushed her. She kicked one in the gut and then ducked, knocking the legs out from under the other.

She rushed towards the door but one of the men grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground. She caught herself and kicked him in the face, crab-walking backwards. The first soldier stepped on her stomach and forced her into the ground and she gasped as he dug his boot into her, hard.

She grabbed his ankle and pushed him up and off balance, reaching out to push his other leg and shove him into another wall. She managed to scramble to her knees and exited the cell before the captain stepped up behind her and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back.

He pressed his sword against her throat.

"You've got spirit girl..." He growled in her ear. "It's a shame you picked the wrong side to use it for. This isn't a fairytale little one, this is war, and it's power that wins a war. Power that you don't possess."

"Fuck you." Santana spat, panting heavily. The man laughed.

"You won't be missed. Any last words?" He asked.

"I already said them." She said coldly and closed her eyes.

"Yeah, fuck you." Blaine said and let his arrow fly.

It struck true and Santana gasped as the blade clambered to the ground in front of her.

"Didn't you hear her?" He smirked, lowering his weapon.

Santana looked up to find Quinn, Blaine and a light-haired man stepping into the jail.

"Dude that was so badass..." Finn gawked.

The three soldiers rushed out of the cell and drew their weapons on the three intruders as Santana clambered backwards, leaping for her short-swords.

One of the soldiers rushed for a rope in the corner of the room.

"Stop him!" The unfamiliar man yelled.

Blaine hastily fired an arrow at him, but he ducked and continued on, leaping and bashing the rope. They all froze as the loud chime of a bell echoed throughout the city.

* * *

Rachel smiled at the little boy that sat across from her, happily smashing oatmeal into his mouth. He was so innocent! It was refreshing. His older sister scowled at him as he covered his face with food.

"I'm sorry about your husband." Sam said.

Breaking the news had been hard for them, but the old woman was strong, and she seemed to have accepted the inevitable long ago. She was surprised that there were as many survivors as there were.

"I'm sorry about your friends." She said.

"We'll get them back." Sam nodded.

"Your faith is remarkable." The woman said passively.

"But how will we get weaponry now?" Rachel asked.

Sam frowned and shrugged.

"I may be able to help you there. Follow me." She meandered off down a hallway and Rachel and Sam followed unquestioningly. She led them to a door at the end and pulled a key out of the pocket of her dress, slipping it in and turning it sharply.

They stepped through into a veritably armory.

"Oh my..." Rachel gasped, looking around at the cornucopia of weaponry around them. Her fingers brushed over the shafts of spears and war hammers that lined one wall. She looked opposite it to find bows and daggers of all shapes and sizes. The other two walls were filled to the brim with swords; long-swords, short-swords, great-swords, half-swords. It was breathtaking.

"Tell me about your friends." She said. "What do they use? How large or small are they?"

Sam paused and gawked.

"Umm, well...Quinn is about 5'6'', and light. She's kind of a delicate person, but she's stronger than she looks." He said. The woman pondered this for a while before crossing and picking up a short, red bow that curved

"A short bow, three feet long made of cherry strung with horse hair. This is a very difficult bow to shoot, and she'll have to practice with it, but once she's adept, she'll rarely hit without a true kill." She handed it to Sam who slipped it over his back.

The old woman walked back and picked up a blue velvet quiver with black trim filled with cherry arrows with silver metal tips. She handed it to him before returning.

"And who else?"

"Blaine is taller than Quinn, he's thin, but fit. He's been living in the woods for a decade so he's well versed in using a bow already." Rachel said.

"A specialized long-bow then." The woman said, plucking a golden bow off of the wall and walking it over to them. "Four feet long, shorter than most long-bows, longer than most short-bows. Lots of kick when you shoot it, he'll have to practice."

She returned to select a golden quiver with white trim, filled with gold and silver arrows, bringing it over and handing it to Rachel, who thanked her.

"Finn's a mage, and Santana has two short-swords already." Rachel said. "Then there's me."

The woman walked over to one wall and plucked a black-hilted dagger, then moved over to the swords and eagerly plucked two sharp looking half-swords. She handed them and their hilts to Sam before walking Rachel over to a wall of spears.

"I kind of want a sword actually..." She admitted.

"I have just the one!" She rushed over to the wall and grabbed the hilt of a greenish-silver looking sword. She walked it over to her and she noticed the snake-like patterns curling up the hilt. "This sword was passed down through generations; it's imbued with an energy that is said to warn of impending danger! It'll vibrate at your side when danger is near, use it well!"

"Thank you." Rachel said as the old woman ushered them back out into her main room where her two children had taken to throwing food at one another. She turned to reprimand them just as the bell sounded across town.

"Go! Your friends are in trouble! To the police station, hurry!" She practically shoved them back into the tunnel but caught Sam's arm first. "Honour my husband's death." She said.

"I will."

"Good." She let him go. "Now go!"

* * *

Santana grabbed her swords and took care of the soldier who had rung the bell before turning and dropping to her knees, grabbing the keys from the captain's body. She set Finn free as quickly as she could and the remaining two soldiers stood back to back, one facing Blaine, Quinn and Brittney's father, and the other staring down Santana and Finn.

"You're outnumbered. Let them go." Brittney's father stepped forwards and the soldier glared at him.

"We won't be outnumbered for long." One of the soldiers said.

"They're just kids."

"Fugitive kids. They're wanted!" The soldier snapped. Brittney's father opened his mouth to speak again, taking another step forwards so that he was practically standing on the dead captain. The soldier cut him off. "Look, we don't care old man! They mean nothing to us, if they die, we get paid, and that's all I care about."

"Pity." Brittney's father remarked.

He stomped on the ground and the captain's sword flew into the air. He caught it and lunged forwards, startling the soldier so that he fell backwards, bumping his friend.

Santana and Finn dove forwards and passed by them, narrowly avoiding a hasty sweep by one of the soldier's swords. The soldiers ran to intercept them but Brittney's father stepped in the way.

"Kids, get going!" He yelled over his shoulder. "You don't have much time!"

"What?" Quinn yelled. "No! You come too!"

"If you get away now, they won't know which way you've gone! If I let these two goons chase after us, they'll have a clear direction to follow! Hurry, and if you see my Brittney again...tell her I love her, and I'm sorry." He said.

Quinn looked like she was going to protest, but Finn grabbed her arms and threw her out the door.

"Come on!" Santana gestured to a nearby alleyway. She took off into it and Blaine gestured frantically for Finn and Quinn to follow her before bringing up the rear and pointing his bow behind them. He and Santana were the only ones still armed, and he had a hunch that Finn's little zaps wouldn't suffice if it came to a full on battle.

Santana screamed as a soldier jumped out in front of her. She ducked and he tripped over her, into Quinn, who shoved him backwards just as Santana pivoted and stabbed him with her sword. Finn grabbed him and shoved him off to the side and they continued running.

Blaine gritted his teeth as two more soldiers followed after them. He dispatched one with an arrow, but when he reached back for another arrow, he found his last one waiting for him. He stared at it nervously, but fired it anyways.

"I'm out of arrows!" He yelled out, slinging his bow back over his shoulder.

"Fuck." Santana swore.

They sprinted until their lungs felt like they would burst, but they seemed to be losing the soldiers. Quinn stopped short suddenly when she realized where they were. She turned to the right and stared at the back door to the bakery.

"Quinn?" Santana paused from further ahead.

"Come on!" Finn shoved her and she bit her lip, staring at the door.

"What is it?" Blaine asked as he reached them.

"This is my home..." She whispered.

"We don't have time!" Finn shoved her again but Blaine stepped between them.

"Go find Sam and Rachel...We can't bring her this close, and then make her leave again."

"But-" Finn started.

"Alright." Santana interrupted him, grabbing his arm and dragging him away. "Be careful!"

"We will be!" Blaine yelled back. He turned back to Quinn who looked like she was about to cry. "I know it's hard, but we can't spend forever here, alright?" He asked.

"Thank you." She whispered and wrapped him up in a tight hug. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled and then turned, shoving her towards the door as the heavy Imperial footfalls approached.

* * *

Santana and Finn stepped through into the ruined Blacksmith's shop, trying to stick to the shadows and looking around in awe.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Santana asked.

"They're nearby, I can sense them." Finn said.

"Maybe your senses are wrong." She snapped.

They both paused at the sound of footsteps behind them. Slowly they turned to stare at a small army of soldiers.

"Fuck."

* * *

Quinn gently pushed the door, letting it swing inwards. Her house was dark, and absent of the normal scent of flour and cinnamon that usually permeated the air.

She crept further into the house and Blaine entered behind her, closing the door as quietly as he could. He moved to the window and peered through the drapes, watching as several soldiers rushed past.

"All of Ostvale is crawling with soldiers..." Blaine frowned, eyes fixed on the glass. "We should never have split up..."

"You were the one who said I could come here." Quinn protested, turning around and looking hurt. Blaine turned and caught her eyes and hastily shook his head.

"No! No! I don't mean-" He paused and took several steps towards her. "I do not regret bringing you here. It may not be the safest option, but it was the right one."

While that didn't appear to be the answer Quinn had been looking for, it satisfied her, and she turned away again, only mildly concerned.

"You know, for a bakery, there are very little supplies..." Blaine said.

Quinn turned once again in confusion and followed his gaze to where a wall of cabinets had been left open, and empty. Spider-webs clung to several corners of the room, and there was a thick coat of dirt over everything.

"Something must be wrong..." Quinn realized.

"Quinn..." Blaine said slowly, approaching her.

"Mom?" She screamed. "Mom?"

She turned and sprinted for the stairs. Despite her shorter stature, she took them three at a time and whipped around the banister. She ran to her mother's bedroom door, which stood part of the way open, and froze.

Slowly, she reached out a hand, and pushed it inwards.

* * *

Santana swung her swords as quickly as she could, a blur of instincts and weaponry. There were at least a dozen soldiers after them, but everywhere they turned, another soldier seemed to be waiting to block their attack.

Santana gritted her teeth and kicked one soldier backwards, and then stabbed one sword into him. The soldier fell back, but another soldier swung his sword at her, causing her to fall backwards onto the ground, dropping the sword she'd been using.

The soldier stabbed down at her but she hastily rolled out of the way and jumped to her feet, running past the ruined furnace.

"Finn!" She yelled. "Do something!"

"I'm trying!" Finn yelled back, zapping one soldier and then another. His magic was weak, however, and it did little more than irritate them. He was starting to hyperventilate as four swordsmen backed him into a corner of the ruined Blacksmith's Shop.

One of the soldiers lunged at him with his sword and Finn contorted out of the way and then turned back around, grabbing the blade and pulling it from the man's grasp to throw back across the room.

He paused.

"Ouch!" He whined, looking at his hands where he'd cut himself.

The unarmed soldier scowled and went to retrieve his weapon as Santana was backed into another corner.

"I blame you for this Finn!" She yelled.

"Oh sure!" He snapped back. "Blame the new guy!"

"We were fine before your stupid idea!" She growled.

The unarmed soldier shook his head and reached down for his sword. He froze as a boot stepped on the blade, and looked up at where Rachel stood, new sword in hand, buzzing softly.

"Hello." She nodded.

The other soldiers turned with a start as their companion let out a strangled cry and fell to the ground, dead.

Rachel withdrew her sword and glared at the other men, who paused, and then laughed.

"A girl?" One of the soldiers asked. "Seriously?"

"Can't you guys get any real backup?" Another laughed. "Like, a guy!"

"Hey!" Santana frowned. "I'm a girl, and I was kicking your asses!"

"Please, we just didn't want to make you feel bad." Another soldier chuckled. "But I'm tired of the cat and mouse game. I'm not afraid to hit a girl."

Rachel pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips.

"You think you can take me on?" She asked and then leaned in towards them. "Bring it."

Four of the soldiers peeled off, leaving three on Finn, and five on Santana.

Rachel didn't bat an eye as they approached; in fact, she sheathed her weapon and took a few steps backwards.

"You admitting defeat already?" One of the soldiers laughed as they approached her.

"No." Sam said, popping up from behind a bench behind them. "You are."

Sam stabbed one of the soldiers immediately and then kicked him off of his blade, ducking and raising his sword to parry another blow. He twisted the blade, and that soldier's sword flew across the room. He lunged for it, but Sam twisted and elbowed him in the face, causing him to stagger, dazed, before another soldier shoved him out of the way and into a wall where he crumpled, unconscious.

It was quick work for Rachel to incapacitate one of the other soldiers when he turned to face Sam, but the other proved to be a far greater adversary. He turned back around and swiped his sword at her, forcing her into a backbend. She carried on into a handspring and kicked him in the face, causing him to stagger backwards, and then she lunged with her sword.

The soldier smacked her wrist with the hilt of his sword, causing her to drop her weapon, and then swiped at her again. She jumped backwards and then tilted forwards, cart-wheeling and grabbing her sword in the process. She popped back up and stabbed her adversary in the stomach.

Meanwhile, Santana spotted an opening. When the soldiers were distracted, she easily managed to incapacitate two. One more split off to chase after Sam, and the other two turned back to face her.

Santana ducked one of the blades that came her way and parried the other, pushing against it and using her momentum to spin around and swipe at the neck of one of the soldiers. He ducked and swiped at Santana's feet but she jumped it and landed on his shoulders, kicking him onto his back.

Santana jumped at him, half-sword outstretched, but he rolled out of the way and Santana ended up having to combat roll back to her feet, pivoting and raising her sword to parry an attempted cheap shot at her back. She broke the connection and kicked the man back, into his partner's sword.

"Bitch!" The living soldier said, dropping his weapon and his friend.

"What else is new?" Santana snapped back.

The soldier balled his fists and growled at her.

"It's time somebody showed you women your place." He snapped.

He ran at her and Santana ducked his punch, shouldering him in the gut and shoving him up against a wall. He gasped as he hit it and bent over double, falling to his knees. Santana sighed and kicked him once for good measure as he blacked out.

"Estrogen-1, Douchebaggery-0"

Sam had managed to take out the other two soldiers that had attacked Rachel and him, and now only one soldier remained, standing near Finn and looking around at the other three heroes.

"I...uh..." The soldier stammered.

He sprinted out the door.

"Yeah, you better run!" Finn waved his fist triumphantly.

"Where are the others?" Sam asked, concerned.

"They're at Quinn's house..." Santana admitted guiltily.

"What?" Rachel cried, stepping forwards.

"We don't have time to wait for them!" Finn protested. "Soldiers are everywhere; we have to get out of Ostvale."

"We can't just leave them here." Sam protested vehemently.

"No, no, you see, we _can_. You just don't want to." Finn protested.

"Whatever we do, we can't stay here." Rachel said. "We need to get out of town Sam, it isn't safe. We'll get to the gates and wait there _if we can. _At least then we'll have an easy exit."

Sam frowned. He didn't like the idea, but she was right, and he hated it.

"Fine."

* * *

Quinn put a hand to her mouth as she looked at her mother's bed. She felt tears well up in her eyes as they rested upon the figure there. Blaine walked up behind her and took her hand, squeezing it supportively.

"Quinn...?" Her mother whispered sleepily, sitting up and squinting at her.

Quinn's mother's hair was in utter disarray, and her room was just as messy as the rest of the house, but she was alive, and that was all that Quinn cared about.

"Hi mom..." She whispered, feeling very choked up. She hadn't realized just how much she missed her mother, until she was sitting before her. The worst part was that Blaine's presence acted as a constant reminder to her that time was limited.

"Oh Quinn! Oh my baby!" Quinn's mother wailed, practically leaping out of the bed and grabbing her, kissing her head and holding her so tightly that she could barely breathe. "I was so worried! I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep! Oh my goodness! Oh my baby!"

"I missed you too Mom." Quinn smiled and Blaine stepped back to allow the two of them their private moment, silently wishing that he had somebody to hold him like that. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to the bakery?"

Her mother fell silent.

"I couldn't find the strength to carry on. All the prying eyes, they either pitied me or they hated me out there, I couldn't take the constant reminder that you could be dead..." She whispered. "I'll get back into the swing of things now that you're back though!"

Blaine coughed uncomfortably.

"Actually Mom...I...I can't stay here for very long. We came back to get supplies but...the soldiers found us, they'll search here soon enough, we have to get out of Ostvale."

Her mother pursed her lips and shook her head, as if trying to clear the mist that had descended upon her.

"Of course, you're right. It's just been so long, I was being silly." She nodded.

"I'll make things right, and I'll be back someday, and we can just go about our lives." Quinn nodded earnestly.

"You can't promise that you'll be back. I know that, I'm old but I'm not stupid." She smiled softly.

"Then _I_ promise." Blaine piped up.

She blinked and looked at him, as if noticing him for the first time.

"You?"

"This is Blaine Anderson." Quinn introduced him.

"I'll watch Quinn for you. I promise." He said. "I can't promise that either of us will make it back, but if there's anything I can do, I will!"

Quinn's mother held a hand to her heart and her eyes watered. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, at a loss for words.

"We all will. Me and Santana, Sam, Rachel, maybe even Finn." Blaine nodded earnestly.

"...You always did know how to pick your friends Quinn." Her mother smiled at her daughter and wrapped her up in another hug.

"Right!" Quinn realized suddenly, pulling back. "Mom, where's Brittney?"

She ran from the bedroom, down the hallway, past her old bedroom and into the spare room. She burst in with a great show of excitement and paused when she saw the empty bed. Her mother stepped slowly in after her.

"Honey..." She started. "Brittney was taken by the soldiers a long time ago..."

Quinn stopped breathing.

"What?" She asked.

"They broke in and arrested her for aiding a fugitive...She was sentenced to death."

"She...she what?" Quinn whispered.

Blaine burst into the room suddenly.

"Quinn, there are soldiers at the door! We have to go!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her down the stairs, Quinn's mother racing after them. They all gave the door a fleeting look as the soldiers pounded against it again.

"Be careful!" Quinn's mother insisted, shoving them out the backdoor, she reached out and grabbed Blaine's arm. "Take care of my baby girl."

"I'll try." He said.

"I believe you." She nodded. "Now go!"

Quinn and Blaine didn't pause as they raced away into the darkness.

* * *

"We don't have time for this!" Finn paced impatiently behind the fence. He'd already scaled it and was preparing to flee.

"We only just got here." Santana sighed from the other side.

"They'll be here." Rachel insisted, peering into the darkness.

"How do you know?" Finn asked.

"I just know!" She scowled.

"There!" Sam cried, pointing down a partially concealed alleyway where two figures were swiftly approaching.

"Sam!" Quinn called, sprinting the last few steps and practically vaulting into his arms.

"Thank God!" Sam whispered as Blaine jogged to a stop behind her. "Hurry, over the fence!" He insisted.

She nodded and leapt onto it, scaling it as quickly as she could, the other four vaulting along after her.

"How was Brittney?" Sam asked as they reached the other side.

Quinn frowned and looked off into the woods.

"She's..."

"She was arrested." Blaine said, saving her from having to choke out an explanation.

"She...what?"

"And...her father was killed." He continued. "Saving us from the soldiers. I saw it happen just before I turned the corner..."

"I'm sorry..." Quinn whispered. "It was my fault."

"It was not!" Santana protested.

"...How could this happen?" Sam whispered.

Wordlessly, Rachel wrapped him in a sympathetic embrace. Quinn joined in immediately, and Blaine and Santana were quick to follow. Finn looked awkwardly from the huddle to the gates and then back again.

He circled around, and began to push them all, in huddle form, further into the woods.

"That's nice, but we're going to die if we stay here so hurry up!"

They all separated and walked off, disappearing one by one into the forest.

Sam and Quinn paused and looked back towards Ostvale one last time, and all Sam could think...was that he hadn't gotten to see his mother's smiling face one last time.

* * *

_**Brittney is in Imperial hands? Coupling that with Sam's vision of blood and broken glass and her future doesn't seem all that certain anymore, but sometimes that's what friends have to do for one another. With this shocking realization under their belt, how will Quinn and Sam cope?**_

_**In the next chapter, the team are forced to trek into a new environment that nobody is used to. Rachel begins to entertain the feelings that have been sparking up over Sam, and Santana and Quinn won't let her brush them aside. Finn has to make a tough decision between helping his new friends and facing a foe from his past, and when that face appears, the entire group is threatened, and somebody doesn't make it out alive. With a new town on the horizon, Sam finds a new world in his dreams, and the group may just find out why Finn is the way he is.**_

_**Please, please, PLEASE REVIEW! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hi! So, I really appreciated all of the reviews for the last chapter! It meant a LOT to me, so I hurried to put this chapter together to show that I now have no intention of stopping this story! _**

**_This chapter is very different than some of the others, from a dance off, to Finn's flashback, and it's a little song heavy, but hopefully you like it just the same!_**

**_I don't own Glee! :) Also, sorry I keep forgetting to put the links to the songs in up here!_**

**_ watch?v=6K70t4bfxtE_**

**_ watch?v=gzQOXljCw_Q_**

**_ watch?v=_wOPMsazt8U_**

**Love Is In the Air**

Santana squinted into the distance, peering out from the tree-line. She looked down at the red clay beneath her boots and then back at the jagged mountains rearing up across an extremely dry looking desert pass.

"Shit..." She frowned, raising an eyebrow in disdain.

"What?" Sam asked, coming up behind her.

"Check this out..." She held aside a large branch and gestured past her.

"Oh..." He mumbled. Despite their rather unfortunate incident in the rain, they hadn't had to battle against the elements very often. Their resources had all been plentifully available in the forest somewhere, and with the siblings on their team, they were safe from accidentally ingesting a toxic plant.

That only applied to forests, however; neither sibling had ever even seen a desert, they would be next to useless.

"We have to cross that?" Santana asked.

"Yep..."

"Why?"

"Cause Finn says so and we have nowhere else to go..." Sam frowned.

"Even if we make it across the desert, how will we climb those mountains?"

"...Our hands!" He responded wittily. She glared at him.

"Good one..."

"Thanks."

"Let's go warn the others..."

* * *

"Dude, oh my God, why the hell can't I fish? Do you think they know I'm trying to kill them?" Finn screamed in exasperation.

Blaine blinked at him, raising an eyebrow, hands resting lazily on one of the poles that they'd fashioned from wood and string unravelled from one of Santana's shirts. The hooks had been easy enough to come by, simply by cutting small pieces off of Santana's old half-swords from the farm and heating them with the fire.

It was probably useful that they were travelling with a Blacksmith's Apprentice, because their initial attempts looked like lopsided triangles until Sam took pity on them and fashioned the hooks himself.

"Do you even believe in God?" He asked.

"I don't know." Finn shrugged. "I think so...Do you?" He asked.

Blaine shrugged.

"No, I don't. I'd like to, but nothing in my life has given me any reason to believe in something like that." He shrugged again and turned back to the river before them; a small offshoot of the Ostvale River. The two had travelled as far West as they could, but neither of them wanted to risk being spotted on the banks of the river itself for the sake of some mediocre fish.

"Cool!" Finn nodded.

"You're an interesting guy Finn Hudson." Blaine laughed.

As odd as Finn was, there was something lovable about him, and he _was_ a legitimately funny person. Initially it was hard to know how to react to him, but after you got used to it, it was a welcome break from the normally serious environment that they now lived in.

Finn was about to retort when the fishing pole in front of him jerked forwards and flew into the river. Finn yelled and dove after it before Blaine could stop him, and ended up flailing in the water, cursing the fish with fervor.

"Finn!" Blaine yelled as he flailed.

"I'm drowning!" Finn called. "I'm gonna die Blaine! I'm gonna die!" He sobbed comically.

"Finn!" Blaine laughed. "Stand up!"

Finn paused and then righted himself, to find that the water only came up to just above his knees. He coughed uncomfortably.

"I could've drowned in that." He said defensively.

Blaine smiled and nodded in mock agreement.

They both turned as Sam approached. Blaine nodded to him and he returned the greeting before turning to glance peculiarly at Finn.

"How's it goin'?" He asked slowly.

"I caught three fish!" Blaine said, gesturing to the ground beside him. "Then the fish caught Finn."

* * *

"So we have to cross a desert?" Quinn frowned, clearly unimpressed.

"I don't want to sound like an idiot, but what's a desert?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah..." Rachel nodded, equally as confused.

"It's like a meadow, but filled with sand and dirt instead of grass, and it's really hot." Sam explained. He paused to devour his fish and a couple of berries.

"What happened to all the grass...?" Rachel asked. "Did it just get buried?"

"No, the plants in a desert are totally different from those in the forest." Finn explained. "It's called the Redrock Desert, and the mountains that we'll have to climb are called Redrock Edge."

The others frowned, that didn't sound particularly enjoyable, especially in boiling hot weather.

"Where are we going again?" Santana asked, sinking her teeth into her portion of the fish that Rachel had prepared. "Is it really worth it?"

"We have to get to Fayhaven." Finn responded.

"Why?"

"Cause I said so!" Finn stood up and stalked off into the forest. "We leave at nightfall!" He yelled back.

The others hastily finished eating their food and packed up their few belongings. The sun was still relatively high in the sky, and with several hours of daylight to burn, they slowly began to drift away from one another again.

Rachel moved to put out the fire, just as Sam did the same. They bumped heads and she tumbled backwards, bracing herself against the ground.

The ground never came, however, as Sam managed to catch her inches above it. He smiled down at her apologetically, arms almost cradling her.

"Sorry!" He remarked.

"Th-that's okay." Rachel swallowed deeply. "We have to stop meeting like that." She joked.

"You're right." Sam nodded. "Next time I'll just let you fall." He snickered and dropped her the short distance remaining to the ground. She laughed and scowled at him, punching at his knees but he danced out of the way.

Nearby, Blaine leaned against a tree, watching the pair with a knowing gaze. He smiled coyly as his sister rose to her feet, blushing and smiling almost giddily. Blaine had practically grown up in the forest, and he'd learned to read animals extremely well, he could tell when they were happy, sad, fearful, or in love...people, as it turned out, were even worse at masking their emotions, and Rachel, being his sister, was no exception.

His sister was in love.

Blaine shrugged; he'd always wanted a brother, and he approved of Sam, he decided to just wait it out and see where it went.

"Sam!" He called out.

"Yeah?" Sam paused and turned around as Rachel excused herself and moved off blindly in another direction.

"Can we train?" Blaine asked, slightly embarrassed as the girls moved off in different directions. Sam smiled and nodded. Blaine grinned in relief and followed him away.

* * *

Quinn eyed her new bow appreciatively, plucking the string like an instrument. She held it to her eye, loaded an arrow and let out her breath. She squinted past the bow, eyes on a small red apple that hung low on its branch.

With a sharp twang, the arrow shot through the air, nailing the apple and spearing it against the trunk of the tree.

Quinn smiled to herself and lowered her weapon bouncing up and down at her success. The new weapons had been an adjustment, but they'd all been training, and they were getting the hang of it. The new weapons were far more powerful than their old ones, and they carried with them a certain emotional stigma. The weapons were proof that loss was not uncommon in warfare; on the contrary, it was to be expected. Sometimes people were lost on the journey, what's important was that you kept on fighting.

Bruce was proof of that, as were the citizens of Violetedge and... and Brittney's father.

Quinn let out a sigh.

She stepped forwards over several gnarled roots towards the tree, grabbing her arrow and plucking it from where it was imbedded, watching the discarded apple roll to the foot of the tree and off into the forest.

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree as she polished the arrowhead absentmindedly.

Brittney's father had been a strong, stubborn man. He'd made a bad call, sending his daughter away, but that didn't mean that he didn't love her...and now...with Brittney in Imperial hands...Quinn wasn't one to try and trick herself, there was a good chance that Brittney was already dead.

Thinking this thought to herself-even in the solitude of the woods just East of the Ostvale River-brought a pang to her heart so sharp that she gasped and doubled over.

"Are you okay?"

She looked up to find Rachel approaching through the trees, the pierced apple in her hand. Quinn shakily nodded.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, brow furrowed in genuine concern.

"Nothing!" Quinn shook her head. "I'm fine!" She smiled.

Rachel put one hand on her hip and gave her a look that clearly indicated that she wasn't going to believe such a simple lie.

"I was just taking a break!" Quinn tried again.

"Quinn..." Rachel started. "Please tell me?"

Quinn sighed.

"It's this whole business with Brittney!" She threw up her hands and sat down against the trunk of the tree, leaning her head against it. "First Sam's dreams, then her Dad, and now finding out that she's probably dead!"

"You don't know that!" Rachel protested, attempting to calm her.

"But there's a good chance! You would know Rachel, you lived at that castle..." Quinn snapped irritably.

Rachel fell silent.

She knew that Quinn was right, if Brittney was in Imperial hands than she was probably dead, or on her way to being executed. She almost suggested a rescue mission, but they were not ready to invade the castle. The six of them would be cut to pieces under the might of the entire Imperial Army.

"It's just stressful..." Quinn sighed.

"I know..." Rachel sat down next to her and wrapped her up in a hug. Quinn leaned into her and began to cry, unashamedly as Rachel rubbed her back, murmuring soothing words into her ear.

"I-its, just n-n-not f-fair!" Quinn whispered.

"Oh, Quinn!" Rachel cried, holding her tighter. "I know it isn't, I know..."

"I j-just w-w-wanted to s-see who was in the c-carriage!" She sobbed.

"Hey...listen!" Rachel lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes. "Do you believe in fate? Destiny? Any of that?"

Quinn sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

"I guess so...I'll believe anything at this point...Not that prayers have done me much good..."

"Maybe it was fate that made them pick you." Rachel said. Quinn looked to be on the verge of even more tears so Rachel hastily went on. "Because you are way stronger than you look, and maybe fate or God or luck or whatever, knew that you could make it through this!"

Quinn didn't say anything.

"I know it sucks, believe me I know, but we've actually had it pretty good, I mean, how many close encounters have we had?"

"Too many..." Quinn said bitterly.

"Exactly, too many, but we managed to escape all of them." Rachel said. "The King needs to be stopped, and I think we're gonna have to be the ones to do it. For Brittney...and for everybody else in the Kingdom. Alright?"

Quinn nodded.

"Alright."

Rachel rubbed her friend's arms tenderly and then stood, brushing off her pants and turning away.

"I'm going to head back to camp, alright?" She turned smiling. "Don't worry Quinn, we'll get through this..."

Quinn nodded at her and Rachel smiled, turning away and moving back towards their campsite.

She'd made it about half-way before she heard the sounds of battle coming from off to her right. She froze as she heard Sam cry out slightly and then broke into a sprint, diving through trees so quickly that her feet barely touched the ground.

Seconds later, she reached the edge of a small clearing. She was just about to barge in, sword first, when she noticed what was happening.

Blaine and Sam were both panting and smiling on opposite sides of the clearing, weapons drawn. She looked from one side to the next in blatant confusion.

"Do you want to try again?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it." Blaine smiled. "Thanks!"

"No problem!"

Blaine set his feet and Sam began to run towards him. As he approached Blaine bent his knees and lowered his shoulder, catching Sam just below his ribcage and sending him awkwardly stumbling off to the side.

"That was closer!" Sam nodded encouragingly, righting himself.

"I don't understand why I can't flip you..." Blaine frowned. "Should I crouch lower?"

"That'd probably be a good idea..." Sam nodded and approached him to show him what to do. "And try to like, throw me _with _your back too, you know what I mean? Like, push up against me when my center of gravity is over yours."

Rachel smiled as she realized what was happening. Sam was giving her little brother lessons in how to fight. She'd known something was up with him after their father's ambush, but hadn't been able to put her finger on it.

Blaine had failed when close combat was initiated, so obviously he'd sought out Sam to help him improve!

She was touched, and leaned back to watch as Sam selflessly moved in for another blow. The maneuver was even closer this time, with Sam rolling down his back, but the flip was far from being complete.

"You look happy." A voice startled her out of her thoughts and she turned to find Santana looking at her, tongue between her teeth and a cheeky look in her eyes. "You look...in _love." _She cooed.

"What's going on?" Quinn's voice sounded out as she approached.

"Nothing!" Rachel said hastily.

"Rachel's in _love_." Santana repeated, teasing her.

"I'm not trying to move in on him, I promise!" Rachel shook her head, eyeing Quinn seriously. Quinn's brow crinkled and she tilted her head to the side.

"Wait what?" She laughed. "Sam's just a friend, _believe _me!" She laughed again and shook her head. "You can have him if you really love him!"

"I barely know him." Rachel scoffed.

"Love is funny that way." Quinn said.

"_I _think it's adorkable." Santana teased nonchalantly.

Rachel shook her head and turned away from them, back towards the training session. Neither boy had noticed the intrusion upon their training grounds, and as they worked Rachel couldn't hold back a giggly smile as Sam burst out laughing at an absolutely botched attempt.

Santana squealed conspiratorially and shared a knowing look with Quinn who smiled back. The look did not go unnoticed by Rachel, who turned back to them with a glare.

"I am _not _in love!" She insisted.

"_Mmhmm_..." The other girls said disbelievingly.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Hercules: I Won't Say I'm In Love-**

Rachel groaned.

_"If there's a price for rotten judgement..." _Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes. _"I guess I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation."_

She snapped her head at Santana and Quinn who drew close together.

_"That's ancient history, been there done that!" _She turned to walk off into the woods, but Quinn and Santana both moved to intercept her.

_"Who'd you think you're kidding? He's the Earth and Heaven to you! Try to keep it hiddin', honey we can see right through you!"_

_ "Oh no!" _Rachel shook her head and tried to dodge around them but they cut in front of her again and turned her to face Sam again.

_ "Girl you can't conceal it, we know how you feel and who you're thinkin' of!" _

_ "Oh..." _Rachel sighed, looking at the strange sandy haired boy as Quinn and Santana began to do-op in her ear. _"No chance, no way, I won't say it no. No!" _

_ "You swoon, you sigh, why deny it, uh oh?" _The girls sang, switching places and swaying as the oohed.

_"It's too cliché! I won't say I'm in love." _

Rachel shook her head, but slowly re-approached the clearing, leaning against a tree and pressing a hand against it, looking at the boys' training.

_"I thought my heart had learned its lesson...It feels so good when you start out." _She frowned. _"My head is screaming get a grip girl! Unless you're dying to cry your heart out! Oh!"_

_ "You keep on denying, who you are and how you're feeling!" _The girls pointed at her accusingly. _"Baby we're not buyin', Hon we saw you hit the ceiling." _They shook their heads. _"Oh no!" _

_"Face it like a grown up! When you gonna own up that you-"_

_ "Got-"_ Quinn nodded.

_ "Got-" _Santana chimed in.

_ "Got it bad!" _They joined one another again.

_"No! No chance, no way! I won't say it, no. No!" _Rachel shook her head and cut her hands through the air, attempting to turn away again.

_"Give up! Give in!" _The girls sang, blocking her path.

Santana continued on, poking Rachel's cheeks. _"Check the grin, you're in love!" _

_ "This scene won't play! I won't say I'm in love!"_

_ "You're doin' flips, read our lips! You're in love!" _

_ "You're way off base, I won't say it!" _She scowled at them and growled through her next phrase._ "Get off my case, I won't say it!"_

_ "Girl don't be proud!" _They sang, patting her arms. _"It's okay you're in love!"_

_ "Ooh..." _Rachel sang, turning to look back at Sam over her shoulder. _"At least out loud...I won't say I'm in love..." _

Quinn and Santana softly ended the song and stepped slowly away from Rachel through the forest, giving her knowing looks and sly smiles as they left. Rachel shook her head and looked back at the training session, where Blaine had finally taken notice of them.

She watched him watch Quinn walk away with the same stupid gaze that she knew had been plastered across her face all afternoon and wondered if maybe...maybe she wasn't the only one confused about her feelings.

As she turned and walked away, she _didn't_ catch Sam's admiring gaze in her own direction.

* * *

**Enter: The Piper**

Sam groaned as he stumbled through the forest behind Finn that night.

"Why aren't we sleeping again?" He asked.

"We're going into a desert!"

"So?"

"It's pretty cool at night." Finn explained. "You'll want to kill yourself in the morning."

"Okay." Sam rolled his eyes disbelievingly. It was just a little sun; they'd been living under the same sky for months now, besides, a little sand wouldn't hurt anybody. He doubted that he'd want to _kill _himself...

* * *

"Oh my God, I'm gonna kill myself!" Sam cried. The desert sun blistered above them, and the air around them seemed to shimmer in the heat.

He slumped to the sand and panted against the ground. He felt a pair of hands on his arm as Blaine attempted to haul him back to his feet.

"C'mon..." Blaine moaned, staggering forwards. The sunlight was making him slur his words, and he didn't trust himself to say much more than that.

Sam reached his other arm out and crawled forwards slightly so that his head rested in the shadow of a large cactus.

"What's that?" Rachel asked, squinting tiredly at the large plant. She reached out and poked one of the needles. It pricked her and she drew back, practically hissing. "It bit me!"

Before she could draw her sword and cut Sam's limited shade to bits, Finn stepped in and raised his hands to silence them.

"Calm the hell down!" He yelled.

"My hair is not built for this..." Quinn frowned. They all turned to look at her. The heat legitimately looked like it might set her head on fire.

"Hey look, a water pump!" Santana cried out. She ran towards another cactus with outstretched arms, as if to hug it.

"No!" Finn yelled, diving after her and grabbing her leg, pulling her to the sand.

"I don' even know wa's goin' on..." Blaine swayed from side to side.

Finn looked at the five of them and realized that he was essentially in charge of keeping them alive in the harsh conditions. Santana had started hallucinating and he had to keep a close eye on her after she confused a large boulder for a rabid bear and ran away in the other direction. It had cost them at least half an hour of travel time tracking her down again. Blaine was incoherent and babbling nonsense half of the time, and Rachel was just as bad, getting angry at the smallest possible thing. She'd already attacked Finn three times. Sam could barely move and kept mumbling something about a condition he had that made him sweat a lot. Of all of them, Quinn was the most coherent. She, at least, only seemed a little bit drugged up, and had most of her wits about her.

"How much longer?" Rachel snapped.

"We're almost to the cliffs." Finn said.

"That's not a measure of time Finn!" Rachel screamed, unsheathing her sword.

"Fuck..."

Finn sprinted away, Rachel right behind him as Blaine tried to carry Sam unsuccessfully. Eventually, he took Sam's legs and Quinn took his arms and the three of them trudged forwards blindly as Finn and Rachel raced in an increasingly wider circle beside them.

This method was slow, but effective, at least until Santana hallucinated again and thought that Sam was a gurney and sat on him, promptly sending all four of them to the ground.

"Don't kill me!" Finn cried sprinting back to the others and hiding behind the cactus.

"Don't hide behind your innocent friend! This isn't his battle!" Rachel snapped.

Finn looked at the cactus and then back at Rachel.

"Rachel that's a cactus."

"Oh, and now cactuses can't have feelings?" Rachel looked like she was about to cry. "Maybe that's what's really wrong with this kingdom! People like you are racist against these poor cactuses! Have you ever thought about how that makes them feel? Maybe all they need is a hug!"

Rachel looked at the cactus with tearful eyes and dropped her weapon, holding out her arms and walking slowly towards it.

Finn decided to let nature take its course and moved to kneel down next to the clump of people _beside_ the cactus. Seconds later he heard Rachel blow up into another fit of rage, screaming at the cactus that she had tried to help it and it had hurt her in return.

_"Finn." _A voice in his head called out to him.

"Marley?" He asked, standing up and looking around.

_"I'm in your head, I am literally always in your head. Why do you always look around?" _

"Because I...what do you want?" Finn snapped.

_"Finn!" _Marley said irritably. _"Those five are important to the future of this Kingdom, I'm sure you've sensed that. If you don't do something, the sun will kill them here." _

She paused as Rachel began chopping the cactus to bits, against Sam's weak protests. He flailed trying to stop her, but Santana was sitting comfortably on his chest and Blaine and Quinn were both holding him glumly, neither had let go of him when they fell.

_"Or they'll kill each other..." _

"Well what am I supposed to do?" He asked.

_"Use your magic. Duh." _

"They'll track my magic if I use it..." Finn said uncertainly. "That's why I don't use more than little bursts of it."

_"Well they'll die if you don't, so, you should probably get over it." _

"Fine..." Finn frowned.

He turned back to the other five, rolled up the sleeves of his yellow cotton jacket and flexed his fingers, flinging his arms out to the side and focussing on the ground by his feet.

Sam looked up with tired, unfocused eyes as a jet of water exploded from the ground by Finn's feet, showering them all. He gasped and shook free from Blaine and Quinn as they rushed towards the fountain and began to down as much of the water as possible.

Santana dove off of him and began splashing her face with water. She looked up, as if noticing her actual surroundings for the first time. Rachel glanced over at the magical spring and approached it sceptically. Once the water hit her, however, her anger was forgotten.

"How did you do that?" Sam asked, cupping his hands until water filled them.

"I'm a wizard."

"When we were in that prison, you could barely zap the guards." Santana said.

Finn looked uneasy.

"The King's court is full of some of the strongest magical people in the Kingdom. They don't want any threat against them, so they've been assassinating all of the magical people in the Kingdom. The only ones left, that I know of at least, are Marley and I...I don't like to use my magic because it could get me killed."

"So you're saying that the Imperial soldiers could be on their way right now?" Rachel asked.

"No. He's saying that he just risked his life to save ours." Sam realized.

"Well, that, and the soldiers are actually definitely on their way right now." Finn said bluntly.

"Then we have to leave!" Santana yelled, but she didn't move from the water.

"Well, no..." Finn paused. "See, the soldiers don't like the desert. Some actually can't even come here, because they'd melt inside their armour."

"What are you talking about; we haven't met any armoured soldiers." Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"Well you're not a threat to the Empire yet."

"He's right, there are a bunch of different kinds of soldiers. We've only encountered swordsmen so far." Blaine said. "But there are plenty more; archers, magic-wielders, armour-clad, they all serve a purpose; attack, distance, magic, defense and that's not even counting the army leaders."

"Right." Finn agreed. "But there is one other unit of soldier..."

"What?" Rachel paused. "I lived at the castle, I've never heard of a fifth unit."

"Well you wouldn't have...they're..._he's..._different...he covers the Redrock Area exclusively...and he won't do things the normal way."

"So _he's _on his way to fight us right now?" Quinn asked.

"Yep." Finn said.

"Then why aren't we running?" Santana asked impatiently.

"Because there is no way to outrun them in their own land."

"Then should we be ready for a fight?" Sam asked.

"No." Finn shook his head. "But you might want to limber up." He looked out into the desert where a wave of black was covering the sand. "_They're_ coming."

* * *

Finn stood strong at the forefront, watching as the shadow moved towards them. The water had stopped, having done its duty, and seeped back into the ground. Sam stood behind him and to the left, angled slightly and Rachel knelt between them on one knee, watching the cloud approach. Blaine and Quinn both crouched next to one another on Finn's other side and Santana stood up slowly beside them.

As the darkness approached them, they realized that it was actually several smaller shapes; a swarm of rats.

It took less than a minute for the rats to reach them. They stopped directly in front of them, beady red eyes staring up like predators eyeing prey. They began to pile on top of one another in a pyramid until two people stepped through the middle, one a man with dark bags under his eyes, a crazed smile, a patchwork of dark purple and blue clothing and a flute in his hand, the other a girl with jet black hair who Finn recognized from the very first night that he'd met Sam and Quinn.

"You're the boy from the bridge!" Ree yelled.

"Well screw you _Regina!" _Finn mocked. She took a step forwards threateningly but the other man stepped in front.

"Hello again Finnocence!" The man cackled.

"Hello Piper."

"You know him?" Ree asked, outraged.

"Quiet Regina, I've got business to tend to. The only reason you're here is because your uncle tired of you." The Piper said offhandedly. Ree gasped and began to squabble quietly with him as Blaine sidled up closer to Sam.

"Piper?" Blaine whispered. "As in the Pied Piper? Like in the fairytale?"

"_Fairytale_?" The Piper snapped his head to the side, looking crookedly at Blaine with a furious glare. "You think my life is a _fairytale_? You think its _fun_ to me that I'm a _bedtime_ story?"

He raised his flute to his lips and played a single note, vanishing in a puff of smoke and reappearing right in Blaine's face.

"Let me tell you something boy, I am not a fairytale. I am the thing that _nightmares_ are made of." He whispered hotly against him.

Sam stuck his hand between them and broke them apart, standing protectively in front of his friend.

"Oh..." The Piper smiled deviously. "It seems as if I've discovered your natural leader already."

Sam barely had time to blink before the Piper had him in a headlock, flute pressed against his neck.

"Let him go!" Quinn yelled, darting forwards.

"Leave him alone!" Rachel shouted simultaneously.

Ree stepped in the way and pushed Quinn back. Rachel darted forwards, but Ree swung around, kicking her to the ground. Ree advanced upon Rachel but Santana stepped in her way, swords drawn and a fierce look on her face.

Blaine grabbed the Piper's shoulders and the other man swung the flute around, bashing him in the face and knocking him roughly to the ground before resuming his position and pivoting so that he faced the group as a whole.

Rachel crawled to Blaine and held up his head to investigate the bloody nose that had resulted from the hit.

Sam gasped against the cold steel of the flute and tried in vain to throw the other man off of him.

"What are your terms Piper?" Finn asked.

"Cutting to the chase already? You were so hesitant last time!"

"Well I won your games once, I'm sure I can do it again."

"What are these games he's talking about Piper?" Ree spat.

"Quiet! This is my domain, and we do things a little differently here than in your posh little castle." The Piper snapped before turning back to Finn. "And you didn't win! Nobody wins my games!"

"Games? I'll tell my-" Ree started.

"Oh my God, stop talking!" Santana groaned.

Ree turned and glared at her.

"You're the one in a dangerous situation peasant-bitch. I'd respect your superiors." Ree drew a sword and pointed it Santana who locked eyes with her.

"We'll respect them when we see them. _Regina..." _Quinn pursed her lips and widened her eyes condescendingly. There was something about this girl that irked Quinn.

Quinn stepped up between Santana and Ree protectively. She didn't know how or why, but something inside of Quinn told her that Ree meant bad news for somebody...somebody very close to her...but she couldn't pinpoint just who.

"Oh you are so-"

The Piper removed his flute, kicked Sam to the ground and played another note, freezing both Quinn and Ree in place as they practically leapt at one another.

"Fffffffuck...yoooou...biiiiitch." Ree fought against the spell in an attempt to speak.

"Yyyyyooou'rrrreee...theeeee...biiiiiiitch." Quinn gasped heavily. "...Biiiitchh."

"What are these terms?" Rachel asked.

"A contest." The Piper slowly broke out into a devious grin. "The gamble's on your lives."

He raised his flute to his lips, pausing with a devilish grin.

"Shall we dance?"

He played a single note, high, sharp and clear.

The Piper lowered his flute as the rats piled on top of one another, literally melting together until they'd taken the shape of shadow-faced men. All four of them held violins and hung their heads, not looking at anything as their music began to play.

"Watch out for his flute! Touch it and it means death!" Finn warned them.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Vitamin String Quartet: Dance, Dance-**

The Piper swiftly lunged to the side, swinging his flute at Blaine who bent backwards to avoid it. The Piper continued on, thrusting it at Sam who pivoted out of the way as the Piper approached Rachel, backing her up with a sort of imposing waltz step.

They travelled backwards until she'd almost bumped into one of the violinists who swung at her with his bow. She ducked it and shoulder-rolled out of the way, past where Santana was standing.

Santana turned to dodge the other way, but the Piper cart wheeled in front of her and sliced his flute through the air. Santana pivoted and ducked at the same time, spinning underneath of it and kicking the Piper backwards.

He caught her foot and tried to flip her but she kept spinning until her feet had hit the ground again and she found herself caught in a waltz step assault. She tried to whip out her swords but he knocked one away with his flute, whipping it through the air towards Finn, who ducked out of the way and rose to find the Piper practically on top of him.

"What's happening?" Quinn yelled, still frozen to the spot.

"It's like a dance off...for our lives?" Rachel tried to explain.

She screamed and rolled out of the way as the Piper turned and tossed his flute at her, it spun like a boomerang and flew right back at him, almost hitting Blaine in the back of the head. The Piper caught it and turned without hesitation to swipe at Sam, who had taken Finn's place and had been attempting to catch him off guard.

Sword met flute and they both pushed off from one another, turning and clashing yet again. The Piper advanced, shoving Sam off balance, but Sam continued rolling backwards and back to his feet, jumping away as Rachel stepped in, locking her own sword with the flute.

Blaine whipped out his own weapon and fired an arrow at the Piper's back. He dislodged Rachel and turned, chopping the arrow out of the air and then baseball throwing his flute so that it spun vertically towards Blaine.

Finn grabbed Blaine by the arm, pulled him out of the way and launched a ball of fire at the flute as it spun back towards the Piper. He reached out and caught it, hissing as it burnt his palm.

"You..." He growled.

"Me." Finn snapped.

The Piper cart wheeled and then launched into a handspring, thrusting his flute at Finn's neck, but Finn ducked it and grabbed the Piper's ankles, flipping him over.

The Piper continued to flip backwards as Finn dove out of the way, and when the Piper attempted to follow him, Santana met him with a punch to the face. He staggered backwards and lunged at her but she dove out of the way and Blaine took her place, bending down and shouldering the Piper just above his waist, successfully flipping him over his back.

Blaine grinned at Sam, who gave him a thumbs up before jumping into the fray and stabbing towards the ground. The Piper rolled out of the way and swung his flute at the sword, sending it skittering along the sand.

Sam lunged for it but the Piper jumped in the way, swinging the flute at him. Sam blocked him by pressing his forearm against the Piper's wrist, causing him to drop the flute. The evil man gasped and dove for it, somersaulting back to his feet directly in front of Santana and Rachel.

The song was nearing the end and the Piper was getting frantic.

He swiped at Santana and but she managed to break away, he pivoted and lunged towards Rachel but she countered the attack and then ran towards him, planting a foot on his chest and sending him tumbling backwards as she back-flipped and skipped out of the way. He pitched his flute back towards her but Finn fired a blast of electricity at it, messing with its trajectory just enough that it missed Rachel's head. The Piper hissed as the flute flew back towards him and the five of them congregated before him.

"I don't lose!" He yelled, lunging towards them. They all broke apart so that he stood in the middle of a pentagon and he circled around slowly.

"You seem to be." Santana said.

She lunged forwards, swinging both of her swords at once and crouching low so that she targeted his knees. He leapt over her swords and turned to block Sam's incoming attack, knocking him backwards and turning just quickly enough to block Blaine's incoming arrow with his flute. He instinctively flipped backwards as Rachel swiped her sword underneath of him and landed on her shoulders. He kicked her to the ground and brought his flute down towards her, but she rolled out of the way. The distraction provided Finn enough time to knock him backwards with a jet of fire.

Sam stepped in behind him and swung his sword at his midsection and the Piper only narrowly dodged the assault by rolling away and back to his feet, instinctively swinging his sword forwards towards Finn who ducked and threw a punch. The Piper grabbed his arm with one hand and spun around, sending him toppling into Rachel who ducked around him and swung her sword at the flute. They clashed and he pivoted away, right into Blaine's fist to his face. He staggered backwards in shock and lunged forwards towards him, but Blaine jumped backwards and Santana stepped in, tripping the Piper and making him front flip back to his feet, spinning around just in time to stop her from cutting him from behind.

He scowled as the five of them congregated in front of him once again.

"You can't touch us!" Sam snapped.

The Piper scowled.

"Maybe you're right. I can't touch _you_." The Piper smiled coldly as the five of them congregated in front of him. "But there are six of you playing this game."

He whipped around and flipped in between Quinn and Ree. He smiled coldly at her and her eyes widened, she fought the spell as hard as she could, but she could do little more than shake where she stood.

"Nnnnooooo..." She whispered.

"You lose little girl." He laughed and pressed his flute deliberately against her forehead.

The violinists dissolved into a swarm of rats again and began to form a line between Quinn and the others, growing larger and larger until she was out of sight.

"Quinn!" Blaine screamed.

"That's not fair!" Rachel yelled.

"She couldn't move to escape!" Santana cried out.

"That's not my problem." The Piper laughed.

"That's low, even for you, Piper." Finn snapped. "I thought using magic was cheating."

"I make the rules. I can bend them to my will." The Piper snapped. "Now get out of here before I change them again and kill you all."

"Let them say goodbye." Finn snapped, stepping forwards.

He and the Piper stared one another down intensely.

"Fine."

The Piper stood back and the rats parted to reveal Quinn crouched on the ground, clutching at her chest.

"Quinn!" Blaine ran to her, Sam right behind him.

He grabbed her and she went limp, relaxing into his arms.

"What's...happening?" She whispered.

"What's happening?" Sam yelled furiously at the Piper.

"She's dying." He said simply, turning to look away.

"Fix her!" He screamed, stepping forwards and grabbing the Piper's shoulders. "Fix her!" He screeched, tears springing to his eyes.

"Quinn...oh Quinn!" Blaine sobbed, stroking her hair.

"Back off of me boy." The Piper snapped, holding the flute menacingly.

"Sam!" Rachel ran at him, holding him tightly, pressing herself against him. He collapsed in her arms, sobbing into her neck. "I can't lose you..." She whispered.

"I'm dying...?" Quinn asked, looking up at Blaine with stunned eyes.

He collapsed into her, crying into her hands.

She smiled and wiped the tears from his face.

"Hey..." She whispered. "You made me feel beautiful..."

"What?" He whimpered.

"You made me feel beautiful...Before I met you...I wanted to be hot." She laughed bitterly at the shallowness of her wish. "You showed me that it's better to be beautiful inside. Maybe its clichéd, but it's true...when you shine inside...you glow on the outside. Just like you do...All of you."

"You can't die!" Sam yelled, running to kneel on the opposite side of her. "You're my best friend, I need you!"

Quinn smiled and shook her head.

"No...I got to see the world Sam, and I got to see it with you..." She smiled. "You have to rescue Brittney for me, alright? Promise me..."

"Quinn!" He protested.

"Promise." She said.

"I promise..." Sam whispered.

"Good...you're strong Sam...and you're brave..." She wiped tears from his face as well and then patted his shoulder before turning to Blaine. "And you...I think I love you..."

"I think I love you too!" He burst out. "That's why you can't leave me on my own!"

"You're not alone." Quinn smiled, shaking her head. "You don't need me to be loved. Look around you, you've got a sister who loves you more than anything, and friends that will stick by you until the end...just like you stuck by me..."

"Quinn..." He whispered.

"Don't get hung up on this..." She said. "You deserve to be happy...we all knew our time would eventually come to an end...I'm just glad I died fighting for a cause as good as ours. Don't stop now, if anything, you have to work even harder. If you can't save this kingdom...nobody can. I believe in you...I believe in all of you."

She smiled and looked around at the others.

"Santana...remember what I said okay?" She whispered. "Everything I said in the barn. I was the one who convinced you to follow us, right? Well now you need to do more than follow, you need to lead, because without me here, things might seem dark. You need to be a light."

"...You got it..." Santana whispered as tears streamed down her face and into her mouth. "...Q."

"Q." Quinn chuckled. "I like that."

Santana let out a sob and turned away.

"Rachel..." Quinn finally whispered.

The other girl, who was standing further away, shaking her head as tears streaked down her cheeks, buried her face in her hands.

"Come here..." Quinn smiled faintly.

Rachel slowly approached and knelt down next to Sam, who stood up and stalked away, unable to bare the sight of his dying friend.

"Love." She said.

"What?"

"I can't love anymore..." Quinn said. "Not from this world... You can. Sam deserves you...and you deserve him. Here." Quinn reached into her hair and pulled out the Cupid's Rose, reaching out and pressing it into Rachel's hands.

"Quinn..." Rachel whispered.

"Be strong. Love is more powerful than any darkness." Quinn said.

Slowly her eyes closed.

"Quinn!" Sam screamed out at the desert. "Quinn!" He screamed again, sobbing and falling to his knees, burying his face in his hands. Santana approached him and rubbed his back consolingly.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered, choked up from the tears in her eyes.

Slowly, silently, Rachel rose to her feet and turned away.

Blaine took his Cupid's Rose from his pocket and laid it in Quinn's hand, blinking back tears.

"Enough!" The Piper yelled before turning back to the others. "I'll teleport you to the top of Redrock Edge, but don't think I'm finished. I told you I'm a nightmare, and I will plague you as nightmares do. I won't stop until I've picked you all off, one by-"

"Oh my God! Shut up!" Finn snapped. "Haven't you hurt them enough already?"

The Piper scowled, raised his flute to his lips and played a single note.

Sam didn't even have time to protest before they were out of sight.

**The Lone Musketeer**

When the five of them reappeared they were atop a large rocky mountain. They could see for miles in every direction. Sam turned to stare off into the desert, Santana's hand still on his back.

"I...I..." He stuttered.

"Shh...I know." Santana said sympathetically, hugging him tightly from behind.

"I was right there...I could've jumped in the way or...or shot him, or...or...something."

"Hey..." Rachel said, turning to look at him. "That's not true. You tried your hardest to take him down, we all did. This isn't anybody's fault but the Pipers. The only thing we can do is keep going...for her sake. She wouldn't want this to hold you back!"

"I told her mother that I'd protect her." Blaine said, still crouched on the ground

"You tried." Rachel said, turning back to him. "She's gone in this world, but that doesn't mean she didn't mean something. She's inspired us, and she's helped us to grow, and now we have to go on without her. And we _can_...just as long as you keep her in your heart, alright? You have to believe that. Sometimes you just have to say goodbye..."

"No." Blaine whispered.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Danny Gokey: I Will Not Say Goodbye-**

"I won't." He said, looking down at the ground.

Rachel looked at her brother with saddened eyes as he opened his mouth to sing.

_"Sometimes the road just ends..." _He choked, eyes glistening. _"It changes everything you've been..."_

Sam looked over at him as he sang, taking in his words.

_"And all that's left to be..." _He swallowed sadly, not making eye contact with his sister. _"Is empty...broken...lonely...hopin'."_

Blaine looked up and out towards the desert that had become Quinn's final resting place.

_"I'm supposed to be strong..." _He blinked back tears and planted one foot in front of him. _"I'm supposed to find a way to carry on!"_

He stood up and clenched his fists.

_"I don't want to feel better!" _He sang, turning to look at his sister over his shoulder. _"I don't want to not remember!"_

Blaine turned and looked at Sam and Santana who stared back at him, watching sadly, listening intently.

_ "I will always see her face, in the shadows of this haunted place!" _He held his arms out. _"I will laugh, I will cry, shake my fist at the sky, but I will not say goodbye!" _He wailed, clenching his fist and punching the air.

He sighed and swallowed dejectedly, turning back towards the desert.

_"They keep saying time will heal..." _Sam sang, nodding and trying not to cry._ "But the pain just gets more real..."_

Finn looked at Santana who nodded, they two of them picked up the song.

_"The sun comes up each day...finds me waiting, fading, hating, praying!" _They sang.

_ "If I can keep on holding on!" _Blaine wailed, looking up into the sun, Rachel approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around him and joining him in harmony. _"Maybe I can keep my heart, from knowing that you're gone!" _

Rachel turned her brother to look at her, continuing on with harmony as he sang his heart out, tears streaming down his face as he looked at her.

_"I don't want to feel better!" _They sang. _"I don't want to not remember!"_

He looked back out at the desert and Finn joined Sam and Santana, oohing softly.

_"I will always see your face, in the shadows of this haunted place!" _

He took a deep breath and Rachel stepped up beside him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it supportively.

_"I will laugh, I will cry! Shake my fist at the sky! But I will not say goodbye!" _

He shook his head as he belted and Rachel took a step back, giving him space Sam and the others stepped up beside her and looked at Blaine, who raised his chin to the sky.

_"Oh!" _She sang as she stepped back.

_"I will curse! I will pray! I will live every day! I will shoulder the blame! I will shout out your name!" _He wailed and Rachel rested a hand on her heart, joining him in harmony again. Sam held her close to him. _"I will laugh, I will cry, shake my fist at the sky! But I will not say..."_

_ "Will not say!" _He clenched his fists and stared out into the desert. _"Goodbye!" _

_ "Goodbye!" _The other four sang in harmony behind him.

_"Will not say goodbye!"_

_ "Goodbye!" _

_ "Will not say..." _He sighed and lowered his head, softly oohing.

Santana slowly approached Blaine, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Rachel, Sam and Finn were quick to follow.

Though Quinn was gone, her memory lived on, and the lessons that she had taught them all lived on with it. Sam and the others were forced to move on, but they never again forgot how important it was to shine on the inside, how important it was to be truly beautiful, like Quinn had always been.

She would always be with them, in every battle they waged and every friend they met, and thanks to Blaine, they were strong enough to move on. They never forgot her, and whenever they were sad, they would think of her, and she would give them the strength to keep fighting.

* * *

"Well, you did manage to kill one at least." Ree snapped as the spell faded and she was released. She stepped back and looked down at Quinn, laying cold and still with her hands loosely holding the Cupid's rose.

The Piper was silent, looking off into the distance.

"They love one another..." He said.

"Love is useless." Ree said coldly. "You can't be so soft."

"Maybe if I'd been loved I'd be a different person."

Ree rolled her eyes and knelt down next to Quinn, reaching out for the flower.

"As dumb as this legend is, Cupid's Rose is actually a pretty flower. It'll look good in my room." She grabbed for it and gasped as Quinn's fist closed tightly around it, shielding it from her. "What the hell Piper! She's dead!"

Ree turned and stood up, rounding on her partner.

"What?" The Piper turned. "Of course she's dead, nothing can break my magic."

"You're wrong." A voice sounded.

Ree and the Piper looked up as a tall dark haired figure stood before them, a shimmering holographic image.

"Who are you?" Ree spat, confused.

"My name is Marley Rose." She said politely. "And you're wrong."

"What do you mean I'm wrong? Nothing is more powerful than death!" The Piper growled.

"You're _wrong_. There is one thing." She smiled and looked down at Quinn, raising one hand and causing the blonde haired girl to float into the air. "Love has kept her hanging on. She's close to death, that's true, and if they ever lose hope than she'll be lost for good...but she isn't. Not yet. As long as they still love her, and as long as they have something to fight for, she'll cling to life."

"That's ridiculous! Love can't bring somebody back from the dead!" The Pied Piper rolled his eyes.

"She never died. When Blaine gave her his Cupid's Rose he gave her part of his life. The legacy of the Rose says that you're destined to find love if you have it. They never found love in one another, so she can never truly die."

"So what? They find it and _then_ she dies?" Ree snarled.

"Love never dies." Marley smiled and snapped her fingers, and both she, and Quinn's body, vanished into thin air.

* * *

"Trees! Glorious trees!" Finn cheered as they approached a large glade at the edge of the top of the mountain. He ran through it, off of the sand and back onto the grass, twirling around giddily before smacking into one and bouncing away, stunned. "There are so many more things to _avoid_ out here."

"Yeah, in the desert you can pretty much go wherever you want and you're safe." Rachel nodded as she stepped into the forest beside him.

"You hugged a cactus..." Finn deadpanned and Rachel smacked him.

"I need a river. So that I can wash." Santana said. "There is so much sand in my hair, I think I gained density."

"There's a river further ahead." Finn explained. "We're out of the sand; we're pretty much out of the whole Redrock area actually."

"So, just trees from now on?" Blaine asked. Finn nodded and he breathed a long sigh of relief.

"I still can't believe we _won!_" Finn cheered, pumping his fists comically.

"Aww yeah!" Santana high-fived him.

Sam frowned; he didn't know that they had won. They had survived, but losing Quinn counted that battle as a loss in his books. Blaine was right, however, he had to keep going and have hope, because that was what Quinn would've wanted.

This new mindset did not stop Sam from reaching into his pocket and making sure that his parents' note was still there. He ran his fingers along the worn edges and allowed himself to be comforted by it. It had become his safety blanket, and he would be terrified if something were to happen to it. He would no longer have a link to his parents...his warrior father and his still mysterious mother...

He couldn't help but wonder if he should lead the others to the spring that the Blacksmith had talked of... Spirit's Spring.

He shook his head.

There would be time for that when Brittney was safe at his side, for now; there was another mission at hand.

"Let's go over the plan." He said.

The others turned to him, nodding.

"Right, where are we going?" Rachel turned to Finn.

"Fayhaven."

"And why?"

"That's where the guy's sister lives."

"The guy that rejected the army's proposal?" Blaine asked.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to find him." Santana frowned.

"I don't!" Finn said. "But his sister does, and I know where to find _her_!"

"What's this guy's name even?"

"Puck. Noah Puckerman is his full name." Finn responded. "He's the strongest dude in the kingdom. He used to be the biggest badass in Fayhaven until...well, you know, he became a fugitive."

"How do you know?"

Finn sighed.

"Well..."

_"Are you ready for tonight, man?" Finn asked, sitting down on his friend's bed and looking up at him. _

_ The tall, built, mohawked boy in front of him adjusted his blue-flannel t-shirt and tucked his pants into his brown leather boots. He picked up a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and flashed Finn a smile. _

_ "Nope." He laughed. "But the ladies are!"_

_ Finn rolled his eyes. _

_ "We should be heading out!" A girl with light hair poked her head in and blinked at them. "We're supposed to be there, like, now."_

_ "Ah well...we'll be fashionably late." Puck laughed._

_ Finn re-evaluated; Puck was the best _male_ performer, and his sister, who everybody just called Kitty, was the best female. They never competed, because neither truly _cared _who was better, they danced because they loved it, not because they wanted to be the best._

_ Puck and Kitty were a welcome pair in the normally gloomy town of Fayhaven, and as Finn walked with them out the door of their large farmhouse, bidding their parents a cheerful goodbye, he couldn't help but think about how much more depressing life would be without them cheering the town up every weekend._

_ Kitty was wearing white leather boots, black pants and a cream colored jacket over a red shirt. Finn thought that she was definitely an attractive girl, but he was so close to their family that he wouldn't ever think of pursuing anything romantic._

_ Puck and Kitty had started their entertainment career when celebrating one of Puck's many victories against another fighter at the only bar in town. Normally, the town was quiet, and the bar was rarely used, but the kindly Asian waitress hadn't minded when they requested a song and began jamming out._

_ The noise of a good time had attracted citizens, and the waitress had asked them to come back whenever they could. It was good for business, and the town needed to cut loose once in a while. Puck and Kitty had both shrugged and agreed; it wasn't as if they had anything better to do._

_ Finn had been a family friend for a long time, after having met them at the bar, even joining them in song once in a while. Kitty and Puck often took requests however, and the song that they were about to sing was definitely more suited to Puck than Finn. _

_ Finn wasn't really willing to cut footloose, when his dancing skills were...well, he was sort of an inverted Puck. Where Puck's dancing and energy made up for his less classically trained voice, Finn was usually forced to rely on his singing to take away from his awkward movement._

_ There was a collective cheer as the siblings walked into the bar that chilly night and they both smiled, grinning and waving at the others._

_ "Tina!" Puck yelled. _

_ The waitress looked up and beamed at them, waving excitedly. She rushed over to the band that was sitting lazily in the corner and pointed at the siblings. The band eagerly got to work, picking up one of Puck's personal favorites. _

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Blake Shelton: Footloose-**

_ Puck grinned as he walked forwards, stepping up onto the bar as Kitty sauntered into the middle of the dance floor. _

_ "Hya!" He called and the guitarists started jamming._

"I've been workin' so hard!"_ Puck sang and the audience cheered, Kitty led the crowed in clapping to the beat. _"I'm punchin' my card! Eight hours for what?" _He sang, shrugging. _

_ Kitty shrugged and then stepped forwards, tapping her feet and nodding her head._

"Oh, tell me what I got! I get this feeling...That time's just holdin' me down." _He sang, smiling at his sister who spun to the right and then back. _"I'll hit the ceiling, or else I'll tear up this town! Tonight I gotta cut-!"

_ Puck launched into the chorus as his sister broke into dancing. She hip-slid to the side and then kicked her leg out from underneath of her, catching herself and sweeping her foot along the ground before launching back up and pencil-turning to the side, reaching out and grabbing the waitress and pulling her onto the dance floor, and hastily fox-trotting with her. She spun her out and then in, dropping to the ground as Tina kicked over her head and continued to spin past as Kitty shoulder-rolled back to her feet on the opposite side of the dance floor. They both began to step forwards stomping and clapping together until Puck launched into the verse again._

_All the while Puck sang on the bar, jamming intensely._

"Loose! Footloose kick off your Sunday shoes! Please, Louise pull me off a my knees  
Jack, get back c'mon before we crack Lose your blues everybody cut footloose!" _He grinned down as Tina and Kitty swayed to the beat beneath him._

"And you're playin' so cool!" _He sang. Tina spun around, rocking her shoulders and laughing at the light-hearted atmosphere. _"Obeying every rule!"

"I dig a way down, in your heart!" _His sister sang with him, bobbing and grinning._

"You're burning, yearning for some-!" He belted out. "Somebody to tell you! That life ain't passing you by, I'm trying to tell you, it will if you don't even try...You can fly! If you'd only cut-" _He belted out as Kitty and Tina turned to face one another across the circle._

_They stepped forwards and kicked their feet each time. They repeated this until they'd reached one another, scuffing their shoes across the floor. They pivoted around one another and shimmied forwards and then backwards again. Kitty grabbed Tina's hand and pulled her in, ducking and letting her spin over her back and back to the floor on the other side. They clasped hands again and hopped in towards one another, descending gradually to the floor until they'd touched it. They then snapped back up and spun away from one another back to the outskirts of the dance floor._  
"Loose, footloose kick off your Sunday shoes. Oowhee, Marie shake it, shake it for me!"  
"Whoa, Milo c'mon, c'mon let's go. Lose your blues everybody cut footloose." _Puck wailed._

_"Cut footloose." Kitty chanted as Tina covered the whoa's. "Cut footloose. Cut footloose. Cut footloose!" _

"We got to turn you around!"_ Puck leapt off of the bar and landed on the dance floor. _"And put your feet on the ground!"

_Kitty hopped up beside him and joined him._

"Now take a hold of your soul! Whoa..." _They rose._

_ Kitty grinned at her brother, laughing. He smiled broadly back._

"I'm turning it loose!" _Puck belted. _"Footloose!"

_ He and Kitty jumped out and then back in, crossing their ankles and spinning around. _"Kick off your Sunday shoes!"_ They continued on, stepping lightly three times to the right and then to the left with their arms up. _"Please, Louise, pull me off a my knees!"

_ They followed up by lunging at the floor one way, then the other and sweeping their legs across the ground in a clockwise circle. _"Jack, get back! C'mon before we crack!"

_ They planted both hands on the floor and shot their leg out, skidding along the ground and then flipping back to their feet again. _"Lose your blues, now everybody cut footloose!"

"Footloose!" _The siblings waved, beckoning the audience to join them on the dance floor until it had become a veritable mosh pit._

"Footloose!"

"Footloose!"

"Kick off your Sunday shoes! Please Louise pull me off a my knees. Jack, get back, c'mon before we crack. Lose your blues! Everybody cut, everybody cut! Everybody cut everybody cut!"_ He clapped, grinning and nodding at the audience._ "Everybody cut, everybody cut. Everybody, everybody cut footloose!"

"So they brought happiness to the town?" Rachel asked. "That's really sweet actually." She smiled fondly.

"I agree." Blaine nodded. "But...what does this have to do with us finding him?"

"It was a long night, I thought I'd start off with the good times." Finn frowned. "Later that night I went out behind the bar to get some air and heard Puck talking..."

_Finn sighed as he stepped out into the crisp night air of Fayhaven. The mist was dense around him, and he couldn't see much, but the air smelled nice, and it was a welcome break from the heat inside the bar._

_ "Listen you inconsiderate little brat. I told you-" An unfamiliar voice cut through the mist. Finn turned towards it, confused._

_ "No! I told _you_ that the answer is no." Puck's voice rang out. _

_ Puck cried out suddenly and he started making gasping noises. _

_ "I don't think you understand." The unfamiliar voice said. "This isn't a question. It's a demand."_

_ Finn crept towards the noise and, as the mist cleared, he found a mean looking red-haired man holding Puck off the ground by his neck._

_ Puck kicked the man in the chest and he dropped him to the ground._

_ "I'm not joining the Imperial Army." Puck snapped. _

_ "You don't have a choice. You're the best amateur fighter we've ever seen, if we can't have you, nobody can." The red-haired man said, drawing his sword. _

"Finn!" _That voice in his head sounded again. He blinked and looked around in confusion. _"You don't have time to play dumb, you know I'm in your head. Your friend is in danger! You need to help him!"

_"But how...?" Finn whispered. _

_ The voice had been talking to him for a while now, it had just appeared. Her name was Marley, but past that he didn't really know much about her except that she'd been training him...for moments like this?_

"Use what I taught you!" _The voice hissed urgently. _

_ The man began to approach Puck who raised his hands and began to back away slowly. _

_ "I don't want any trouble." Puck said, he may have been good at fighting, but that was in a controlled arena where the threat of death was only a joke._

_ "Too bad." _

_ The man struck, lunging forwards and almost throwing the sword at Puck._

_ "Puck!" Finn yelled, extending his hands and sending a massive jet of fire at the red-haired man, knocking him into the bar so hard that he crumpled to the ground and didn't get back up._

"You have to get him out of town. The soldiers will not stop until he is captured." _Marley told him. _

_ "Puck, you've got to get out of town!" Finn regurgitated Marley's words._

_ "What?" Puck still seemed confused as to where the fire had come from. "What just happened?"_

_ "Magic." Finn said. "The soldiers won't stop until they've killed you! You have to go!" _

_ "But...Kitty!" Puck stammered, stepping back towards the bar._

_ "You don't have time! They're already on their way, they would have somebody tracking the magic!" _

_ "I'm really confused." Puck deadpanned._

_ "Just go!" Finn shoved him off in the direction of the forest northeast of Fayhaven; the Whitemist Forest. _

_ Puck looked confused, but as a soldier darted out of the mist, he nodded and ran away. Finn turned back to the soldier and fired a ball of electricity at him, frying him where he stood. _

_ The reinforcements arrived just in time to witness the magical act. _

"You have to lead them away. You can't let Puck be taken." _Marley said in his head. _

_ Finn looked from side to side as the red-haired man rose to his feet and stared at Finn, almost in shock._

_ "Riker, what's going on?" One of the soldiers asked._

_ "Where did he go?" Riker glared at Finn. _

_ He looked from side to side in a panic, trying to formulate a plan._

_ "Puck! Wait!" He yelled, flailing his arms and running off further into the town, opposite the route Puck had taken. His plan worked. The soldiers followed him. _

_ As he sped past the front of the bar, he saw Kitty exiting it with a bewildered look. She caught his eye and he tried to apologize for everything that she was about to go through in that one look. It didn't last nearly as long as he wanted it to, and soon, she was out of sight._

"What happened to her?" Santana asked.

"I don't know." Finn frowned. "I haven't seen anybody from Fayhaven since that day. Not my parents, not Kitty, not Puck. Nobody."

"How did you get away?" Blaine asked.

"I ran until I reached Redrock, and then it seemed as if the soldiers had given up following me...I went to sleep, and when I woke up, there were rats everywhere. The Piper attacked me, but I managed to avoid him with Marley acting as a voice in my head, guiding me. The Piper called it cheating but let me go. That was three years ago. Marley guided me to the bridge...I've been living there ever since."

They all fell into a silence. Finn rarely said a sentence without being sarcastic or dumb...maybe now they understood. He'd had his friends and family ripped away from him in one night, and had been living in total solitude ever since. It was no wonder his social awareness was a little astray.

"So that's why you're so bitter..." Blaine frowned sympathetically.

Finn shrugged.

"I don't like feelings." He said.

Rachel reached out and wrapped her arms around him.

"We're not going to leave you." She said. "You don't have to push us away."

Finn blinked hard as he felt an unfamiliar wetness in his eyes. Tears? He wondered. He hadn't cried in a really long time.

He felt more pressure and realized that Blaine, Sam and Santana had joined the hug.

If this was what it felt like to be loved...maybe it wouldn't hurt to show a little emotion once in a while.

_"Cute!" _Marley cooed in his head, and rather than retort sarcastically, Finn smiled.

* * *

**_Okay! So, with Brittney imprisoned and Quinn dead, Sam has lost everything he had connecting himself to his home. Now, how is he going to cope? In his dreams, he learns that he is responsible for much more than he had initially believed, and he finds out that his friends may be suffering far more than he'd anticipated. Finn is heading back to his home town, and may have to face some more demons from his past. The conversation with Kitty doesn't go nearly as well as they had hoped, and they soon find themselves stumbling through a misty forest in an attempt to prove that they truly are heroes. Santana begins to worry that she doesn't belong in their group, and Sam vows to help her, unknowingly helping another citizen of Fayhaven along the way. _**

**_Next chapter contains three more characters and another Into The Woods reference. However, there isn't a single song in the next chapter, so hopefully that makes up for me putting three in this one! :) _**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Whaaat? Two chapters in one day to show how much I appreciate you all? Crazy! Happy New Year! I hope you liked this chapter and the last one, review both if you like! :D This is a very intense chapter, where everything comes to a head, and hopefully, you guys enjoy it!_  
**

**_I don't own Glee. If I did, Brittana never would've broken up, and Sam would get a girl who actually liked him back, or maybe Sam would get Blaine, I sort of rooted for them too after the Klaine break up. Also, actually, I'll just stop there before I go into a rant. :P Read and review please!_**

**The Dream**

_ Sam stood up in his dream, allowing the ferocious wind to blow his hair every which way. He blinked and squinted against it, taking a step forwards through the waist-length grass that surrounded him._

_ The sky was angry looking, but he wasn't afraid. _

_ He turned to the side as a bright light caught his gaze. _

_ "Yo Sam." _

_ Sam turned to find a tall and muscular boy with a mohawk and quiet eyes. _

_ "You're the boy from Finn's story aren't you?" Sam asked. "What are you doing here?"_

_ Puck shrugged. _

_ "I'm not." He said. "This is a dream." _

_ Sam didn't respond._

_ "Follow me." Puck said, walking through the forest. _

_ "Why are you here?" Sam asked. "Are you magic?"_

_ "Nope." Puck said. "But it is magic that brought me here."_

_ "Are you in trouble?" He asked._

_ "No."_

_ "Are you alive?" _

_ "Yes." He paused. "Listen man, I had to leave my friends behind. I didn't get a goodbye; I didn't get a last moment. That performance in the bar, that's the last time I saw my sister, or Finn, or Tina. That was three years ago. I'm in hiding now."_

_ "I'm sorry." Sam said._

_ "I'm just here to make sure that you don't make the same mistake I did. You need to see something...you need to see a few things actually. This may be your story, but that doesn't mean it's yours alone." He said cryptically. _

_ He pointed forwards where a large, shimmering door appeared, floating in the air. "I didn't see my friends the way I should have before I left. I didn't get to help them like I should have, and because of that, my sister's heart has been taken over by darkness. It'll take a hero to fix her now...or six."_

_ "Me...Rachel...Blaine...Santana...Finn..." Sam frowned. "We've only got five."_

_ "For now."_

_ "I'm sorry." Sam sighed. "But why are you telling me this?" _

_ "You helped Finn." Puck said. _

_ "Rachel was the one who hugged him."_

_ "I don't think you recognize the effect you have on the people around you. Your presence, your happiness, it's contagious. Finn started to heal long before Berry hugged him and he owes that to you." _

_ "So?" Sam asked._

_ "Finn isn't the only one hurting. Everybody you've met, they all have obstacles that they need to overcome. It's your job to help them."_

_ "Why me?" Sam asked._

_ "Because you can." Puck said. _

_ He stepped forwards and opened the door and Sam found himself pulled through it, like a huge vacuum had wrenched him off of his feet. Before he knew it, he had landed roughly on the ground of a dark room and rolled to a stop at the foot of a large chair, wrapped in golden chains._

* * *

_ Santana blinked up at her father in her nightmare._

_ "Good going Santana." He snapped before her, clapping his hands. The golden chains of the chair around her tightened and she gasped, writhing at the uncomfortable tension. "You fail at everything!" He snapped._

_ "I didn't fail!" Santana cried out._

_ "Is the girl still with you?" The farmer laughed. "No! Because she's dead! I told you a farm girl like you could never make it on your own."_

_ "I'm not on my own!" Santana cried._

_ "Oh?" The farmer asked. "They were fine before you came along, then you join them and they lose one of their best friends."_

_ "I-I tried!" She cried. "I tried to help!"_

_ "And what good did that do you? Now you have no friends, and no family. You've failed me, you've failed them, you've failed the girl's mother, and you've failed your own."_

_ Santana broke down crying, lowering her head and sobbing._

_ "I just...I just wanted to see the world..."_

_ "Well are you satisfied?" The farmer laughed. "Your selfish whims got an innocent little girl killed."_

* * *

_ Sam gasped as he watched the scene unfold. _

_ "This is terrible!" He rushed forwards, but the faster he ran, the further Santana and her father seemed to get from him._

_ "Santana wants adventure." Puck said behind him. "But it's more than that. She doesn't just want to see the world; she wants to belong in it. She keeps putting herself out there, and making promises that she doesn't know how to keep. She's trying her hardest to fit in with your band of misfits, but she feels like an outsider, which ties us in to our next stop." _

_ He snapped his fingers and another door appeared. Sam hesitantly stepped through it and found himself standing in the middle of a large cobblestone hallway lined with statues. A little boy rushed past and Sam paused, turning to watch him._

* * *

_ Blaine blinked back tears as he took in his dream space. He heard the footsteps on the cobblestone and turned as his younger self raced down the hall, a look of panic on his face. Blaine instinctively reached out for himself, but the younger version of him phased right through and carried on down the hallway. _

_ Blaine watched him go until four other children raced past with slingshots and wooden hammers. Blaine remembered the memory all too well. _

_ "Oh no..." He swore. He took off down the hallway after his younger self. "Run! Run!" He yelled, but it did nothing to affect the memory. It was one of his most horrible memories; he'd spent years repressing it. This wasn't fair! His life had gone to shit, he'd had to experience this moment once, he shouldn't have to watch it happen again!_

_ No matter how much he yelled, it didn't stop his child-self from being overtaken. It didn't stop the taunting, and the teasing, and the beating, and when the four children tired and walked away, it didn't stop his father from approaching, polishing his sword._

_ Blaine watched as his father stepped over his childish body, barely batting an eye._

_ "Daddy?" His young self snivelled, looking up to reveal several gashes, the makings of two black eyes, and an annihilated lip. He father turned and stared down at him uncaringly. "They beat me up..." _

_ His father laughed and turned away, walking back off down the hallway._

_ "That'll teach you to mess with those better than you." His father called back. "You were a mistake when you were born..." _

_ He froze and then turned back around, locking eyes with the seventeen year old Blaine._

_ "I guess some things never change."_

_ "You can see me?" Blaine asked. His young self was frozen on the ground. _

_ "Unfortunately." His father sneered. _

_ "Why would you do that to me?" Blaine asked. "I'm your child!"_

_ "Only by blood." He snapped. "I tried to kill you twice, just because you continue to cheat death does not make you special, it makes you a pest, and pests must be destroyed." He paused and turned his nose up at his son. "Nobody loves a pest."_

_ "That's not true..." Blaine stammered. "I'm not a pest! I have friends and...and-"_

_ "Oh is that what you call them?" His father laughed coldly, just like he had when he'd seen his child beaten and bruised. "You can shoot a bow, boy, and that is all you're good for. They keep you around because your sister seems to want you, but she's leaving you behind..."_

_ "What?"_

_ "That's right...you've seen the way she looks at the other boy...he's replacing you. Soon enough, she won't need you anymore, and then...then none of them will. Not the boy...not Rachel...none of them."_

_ "I...you're wrong!" Blaine shrank back. _

_ "Nobody loves a pest, boy. Nobody."_

* * *

_ "That's not true!" Sam yelled, but neither Blaine nor his father looked up. "I need to tell him that that isn't true!" He turned to Puck, pleading and Puck frowned._

_ "If I knew how to help you dude, I would."_

_ "You're in my dream! Just put me in his!"_

_ "It doesn't work that way. I'm in your dream because you have something to learn from me. You brought me here, just like how only he can bring you into his dream, and he doesn't have a solid enough grip on himself to do that." Puck frowned. "I'm sorry..."_

_ "What do I do?" Sam asked. _

_ He watched as Blaine's father walked away, kicking Blaine's child self out of his path before vanishing around a corner. The grown up Blaine sat down in the corner and drew his knees into his chest._

_ "He's afraid." Puck said. "He's afraid that everything his father said was true. He wants to be loved, more than anything. His parents never loved him, his Nurse was killed, everybody in this castle wanted him dead. Where Rachel always had Blaine to look after, to give her a sense of purpose, Blaine grew up thinking that his only purpose was to be...well...beaten down, both physically and emotionally. He's afraid of losing love, almost as much as he's afraid of getting it...Now that Quinn's dead...helping him will be mega hard."_

_ "This is awful." Sam frowned. "Why are you showing me all of this?" _

_ "These three are important. You'll meet several people on your journey, but these three...you've got to keep them strong. You can't let them break, because if you do...there are lives on the line. Finn's been given the job of watching you...but he's not strong enough to watch the others."_

_ "But what about my problems?" Sam asked. _

_ "Help them...and you'll help yourself in the end." Puck said wisely. "Come on, we've still got one more dream to visit before the night is over..." He waved a hand and a door appeared on the wall of the hallway._

_ "I don't know if I want to see it!" Sam moaned. _

_ "No...you probably don't." Puck admitted. "It's worse than the rest...I'm like the ghost of Christmas your-lives-fucking-suck-all-year-round."_

_ "Oh Rachel..." Sam groaned as he stepped out of Blaine's dream and back into the meadow._

_ Sam looked around and spotted several figures standing in the grass, and Rachel kneeling before them, weeping uncontrollably._

* * *

_ Rachel looked up at the people standing before her and couldn't help but cry. It was killing her to look at them; their ashy skin and colourless lips, their milky eyes and brittle hair._

_ "Why are you crying?" Santana raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips, almost laughing. She tossed her hair to the side and Rachel spotted the jagged white scar along her neck. _

_ "Because you...I tried so hard..." Rachel whispered. "I'm so sorry."_

_ "Don't apologize." Sam scoffed, looking down at her. "It's not going to help anything now!" He raised his hands behind his head and grinned, lifting up his shirt enough that she could see the massive scar along his side._

_ "Yeah." Blaine laughed. "I mean, we're dead Rachel. Saying you're sorry won't bring us back." _

_ "I fought so hard..." Rachel whispered._

_ "You should've fought harder." Quinn shrugged. _

_ "I tried!" Rachel pleaded._

_ "No, if you'd been trying, we'd all still be alive. You killed us dwarf." Santana said impatiently. "At least have the decency to own up to it."_

_ "I...I didn't kill you!" _

_ "I don't know..." Finn said doubtfully. "If you'd been paying more attention..."_

_ "If you'd fought a little harder..." Sam added._

_ "I mean really..." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Can you keep anybody out of harm's way? You led your own brother into this war! Your brother!"_

_ "Yeah, I was happy in our forest." Blaine frowned. "Maybe our parents were right about you..."_

_ "To think...you thought I could love you." Sam laughed. _

_ "But...but..." Rachel stammered._

_ "But...but..." Santana mocked her. "Listen, I've got better things to do. See you later. Oh wait, no I won't. I'm dead!" _

_ Simultaneously, all five of them turned and walked away._

* * *

_Sam was at a loss for words as Rachel slowly faded away and only he and Puck remained._

_ "She wants to be strong." Sam guessed._

_ "Right." Puck nodded. "She's so afraid of not being strong enough, of not being able to protect you. She wasn't strong enough to save her brother from the guards when they took them to the cells. She wasn't strong enough to save her nurse. She wasn't strong enough to save Quinn. Rachel is strong, really strong, but soon enough...she's going to break." _

_ Sam sat down on the ground, holding his head in his hands. This was so much to take in so quickly. _

_ "Why are you telling me this?" He asked._

_ "You're the only one who can make a difference." Puck said. "If Santana never feels accepted, Blaine will never feel loved, and if he never feels loved, Rachel will never be strong enough to leave him."_

_ "Leave him?" Sam looked up._

_ "Woops, said too much." Puck turned and began to walk away._

_ "Wait! Why is it you? Why not Marley or Finn or somebody?" Sam asked. _

_ Puck sighed and turned around._

_ "Because you've got something to learn from me. Don't wait too long like I did. Pay attention to those around you...they need you! Treasure the moments that you've got, because they're numbered, and you don't know how close that number is to zero, until it's already up." Puck sighed. "You can do this. It's your story; your fate is in your hands. Believe that._

Sam cried out as he sat up, blinking in the firelight that was still burning before him. Finn yelled in surprise and toppled backwards.

"What?" He asked, standing up and whipping out the new dagger he'd been given from the Blacksmith's wife.

"Umm...nothing..." Sam mumbled, looking to the side. Rachel was passed out to his right, one arm covering her face. Blaine was curled up in a ball beyond her, and Santana was on his other side, asleep but tensed.

"Did you have another crazy premonition thing?" Finn asked.

"No...no, nothing like that." Sam shook his head.

"Do you..." Finn paused, as if searching for the right words. "Want to talk about it?" He decided, speaking very surely, as if he was unsure if that was how he was supposed to respond to Sam's distress.

Sam smiled at him.

"No, but thank you." He said.

Finn shrugged and turned to stoke the fire and Sam couldn't help but feel a spark of hope as he looked at Finn. Sam had taught him how to feel! And if he could do that, maybe he _could _show Santana that she belonged, and maybe he _could _show Blaine that he was loved, and maybe...maybe he could show Rachel that she was the strongest person he'd ever met, because it was true, and she deserved to know that.

He added three more goals to his steadily growing list, right under saving Brittney, avenging Quinn, and conquering the Kingdom.

Well, nobody could say he didn't dream big.

He paused and looked at the siblings again.

"You don't have to be big..." He smiled. "To chase giant dreams..."

"What was that?" Finn looked up.

"Nothing..." Sam smiled and nodded to himself.

The crystals on his sword lit up, and for the first time...they didn't fade away again. A dull light, far within the crystal, but definitely there, shone.

Far away in Violetedge, a similar shimmer began to emerge in those crystals. There was hope in the Kingdom, and it could only grow.

* * *

"There it is." Finn pointed.

They were standing atop a large grassy hill that led into a natural sea-side basin.

"That ocean leads into another Kingdom, but the King cut off any trade or travel to it so there aren't any boats there..." Finn frowned.

The town was nestled inside of the basin, and was about the same size as Ostvale. Fayhaven had once been a lively fishing port, but poor government had destroyed their main source of income, and it was falling into a rustic sort of lifestyle. There was a forest that led out of the basin to the northeast and vanished into the horizon.

Unfortunately, the five of them could see very little of this, as the entire area was practically blanketed by a thick layer of fog.

"Why is everything so white?" Santana asked.

Finn opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a scream from down the hill.

"Get back here!"

They all looked down as a cow galloped out of the gates of the city, frantically pursued by a pretty girl with straight black hair and a knee length white dress carrying a bucket.

"Give me your milk!" She screeched.

The cow mooed, as if taunting her, and then doubled back, cutting past her and causing her to slip and fall to the ground. She scowled and got to her feet again as the five fugitives began to descend from the hill towards her.

She took off after the cow again, and again it pulled the same trick, cutting past her and making her tumble to the grass. She got up, wiping grass out of her hair with a look of frustrated determination.

The cow ran towards Sam and the others and the girl, still not noticing them, raced after it. It veered to the side and the girl spotted them for the first time, screaming and tripping over her own feet, falling flat on her face directly in front of them.

"Oh my..." Rachel leaned down to help her up. "You do take plenty of spills don't you?"

The girl smiled graciously at her and accepted her assistance, rising to her feet.

"This cow is just...it is _not_ cooperating!" She laughed. The girl had a very kind, bright voice. Almost like birdsong.

Santana stepped forwards, hands held up to signify that everybody should stand back. She rolled up the sleeves of her brown leather jacket and tossed her hair back.

"Don't even worry about it Asian-Persuasion. I got this." She snapped one hand. "Trouty, with me. We're gonna wrangle a cow."

Sam grinned and nodded enthusiastically with childlike energy, bounding out into the field. He and Santana spread out as the raven haired girl watched them curiously. Rachel, Blaine and Finn all looked on, obviously amused.

The cow glared at Santana as she crept around in front of it. She waved to it and made kissing noises, gesturing for it to come closer. It did not, instead, it backed away. Santana lunged towards it and it turned to run backwards, running straight into Sam, who grabbed it in a sort of headlock.

Sam lost his footing as the cow began to buck, and when he regained it, he pushed up off the ground and landed on the cow's back.

"Milky!" The girl cried out.

Santana ran towards the pair, as Sam began to bull-ride the feisty cow. She grabbed it around the neck and dropped her feet out from under her, weighing down its front body enough that it stopped bucking.

Eventually it decided that it had lost and allowed the others to approach it.

"You did it!" The girl cheered.

She knelt in the grass and set the bucket down beneath the cow.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Santana asked.

"Yeah." Finn nodded.

"A little." Rachel raised her hands to indicate a smidge.

"Thank you so much." The girl smiled at them.

"No problem!" Sam smiled and waved goodbye to her, stepping past her towards the mist-clouded gates of Fayhaven.

Blaine and Rachel nodded to her as they passed, and Santana fondly patted the cow before passing by after her friends.

"Hey..." Finn paused.

She looked up.

"I feel like I know you..." He said.

"I thought you looked familiar!" She frowned. "But I can't remember where I know you from..."

"Hmm..." Finn shrugged. "Do you know if Kitty still lives here?"

The girl paused and thought about it.

"I...think so..." She said slowly. "As far as I know. I haven't seen her in a year at least, but I don't think she moved..."

"Thanks!" Finn smiled cheesily at her and then ran off after the others.

* * *

Rachel stepped slowly through the town gates. She would've looked around at the buildings, but the mist was so thick, that she could only see dark shadows that indicated a presence in the mist.

"I can't see anything! Is it always this misty?" She asked.

"It seeps out of the forest nearby." Finn explained. "The townspeople have learned to deal with it."

"How will we know where we're going?" Santana asked.

"I practically lived in that farmhouse when I lived here. I remember the way. Follow me." Finn said. He was nervous. Returning to his hometown, seeing Kitty again...he didn't even want to think about his parents.

They walked in silence, the five of them following behind Finn.

As they passed the center of town, Sam thought he saw a large church steeple through the mist.

He paused.

Religion had been a large part of his life back in Ostvale. He and his mother would get dressed up every Sunday morning to head down to the church and listen to the preacher's sermon with Quinn and her mother. When they would bow their heads to pray, Sam would always wish for his biological parents.

He wasn't naive enough to think that they were still alive, but what he really wished for, more than anything, was closure; a story, really, with a beginning, a middle, and inevitably an end. At least then he'd know...he could stop wondering.

Now...it almost seemed shallow to pray for himself. He imagined Brittney sitting, gaunt and tired in a cell in the castle. He pictured Mercedes trudging along through the mud in chains, and her feet giving out underneath of her...There was so much more to pray for in the world...

If there was a God, and Sam believed that there was...it wouldn't hurt to try.

He made a vow that he would pay a visit to the Church. He'd lost track of what day of the week it was, but he supposed any day was as good as any. He was fairly certain that a heavenly miracle wasn't bound by the day of the week.

He looked around at his friends and debated asking them to join him.

He was fairly certain that Finn wasn't really into group prayer, and he wasn't sure Blaine was very into it either after the life he'd been handed. By those standards, Rachel probably wasn't very religious either, which left him with Santana.

He flashed back to his dream that night with Puck. What was it that he'd said Sam had to learn?

He looked up as Blaine and Santana shared a joke and burst out laughing. Rachel, walking next to them, shook her head at them, grinning. Finn seemed lost in his own little world further ahead.

"_Pay attention to those around you...they need you! Treasure the moments that you've got, because they're numbered, and you don't know how close that number is to zero, until it's already up."_

Sam nodded, pursing his lips, deep in thought.

Rachel glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Blaine and Santana turned to look at him curiously and he realized how intensely in thought he'd been.

"Yep!" He smiled to reassure them. "Just...thinking..."

"About what?" Blaine asked skeptically.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Everything."

"I gotcha." Santana nodded wisely. "I've had a lot of everything on my mind lately too." She said, sighing and looking around at the others and frowning internally. They were nice, they were kind to her, but...if it came down to it...they'd leave her behind. She was sure of it.

"I think we all have." Rachel sighed.

That was the end of that conversation, and before they knew it, Finn had stopped them in front of a charming farmhouse at the top of large hill above the rest of the village.

"This is it..." He frowned.

As charming as the farmhouse was, it looked run down. There were broken windows and cobwebs everywhere, and the wood was rotting and splintered. They all turned as the barn door slammed shut.

"Should we knock?" Rachel asked.

"I'm a farm girl myself; it gives me an honorary right to walk in." Santana nodded seriously and stepped forwards. She hauled on the door and stepped inside, the others all huddling together at the entrance as she moved further inside.

"Hello?" She called out. "Hello?"

She frowned, shrugged and turned to face the others.

"There's nobody here." She shrugged, glancing over her shoulder again.

She screamed as a figure dropped from the rafters behind her and pressed a blade to her throat.

**For Acceptance**

"Whoa!" Sam raised his hands in surrender immediately, and the others took a cue from him as Santana's attacker stared out at them untrustingly from behind her long blonde bangs.

A locket hung haphazardly from around her neck, and Rachel noticed it glinting in the light with a curious glance.

Santana whimpered and grabbed the girl's arm, trying to pry her dagger away.

"Who are you?" The girl snapped. "What are you doing here? Are you members of the Imperial Army?"

"No!" Sam stepped forwards. The girl tensed her arms and Sam froze. "Hold on...we don't want any trouble! We're looking for a man who used to live here...a warrior? Do you know anything about that?"

"What do you want with him?" She asked, taking a distrustful step backwards, dragging Santana with her.

Finn took a nervous step forwards past the siblings, who exchanged a look and sidled closer together, watching the scene unfold worriedly.

"Kitty?" He asked.

Her eyes darted from Sam to him, and then back again, as if expecting the taller boy to rush her. She paused and looked back at Finn, loosening her grip on Santana, just slightly. Santana nervously locked eyes with Finn, begging him to get her out of her unfortunate situation.

"...Finn?"

There was a long silence. An entire conversation seemed to be taking place between Kitty and Finn, without a word spoken.

Finn nodded.

Kitty let Santana go. She staggered across the room and knelt on the ground beside Sam.

"What happened to you?" She asked accusatorily. "What happened that night? One minute I was in the bar, dancing, and the next minute my brother was gone, you'd sprinted off out of the city pursued by soldiers, and my parents had been murdered!"

"I..." Finn paused, eyes glazing over as he remembered that night.

Sam saved him.

"The soldiers tried to take your brother, to force him to join the army." He explained. "But Finn helped him escape."

"Right." Rachel nodded. "But he got caught helping him, so he was attacked too..."

"I'm sorry." Finn frowned.

There was another long silence. Another silent conversation. This time it was Kitty who nodded.

"How did you survive?" Finn asked.

"When they killed my parents they decided to keep me alive, so that I could tell them if Puck ever returned here. I told them I would." She said. The others looked at her, confused and she shook her head. "I wouldn't! But I told them I would, so they'd let me live. Not that he's ever actually come back anyways..." She said bitterly, absentmindedly grabbing the locket.

"We need him." Blaine said. "According to Finn he's the strongest warrior in the Kingdom. We're trying to take down the King...we were hoping you could help us find him."

"And I'm just supposed to take your word at face value?" She asked skeptically.

"Take mine!" Finn nodded earnestly.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you. I'm not going to tell you where Puck is hiding."

"So you do know then." Rachel nodded.

Kitty froze; hand on the locket around her neck.

"Damn it."

"Please! We don't stand a chance without him." Sam begged.

"You barely stand a chance with him!" She laughed. "The Imperial Army is ridiculously strong."

"We know." Rachel said.

"We've all got something to fight for; we've all been wronged by the King and his court." Blaine said. "You of all people should understand that!"

"You seem like good, noble people, but I can't help you. I'm sorry." She turned to walk off further into the barn but Sam stopped her.

"The King is keeping you from your brother. If you help us, you could be reunited!"

Kitty looked torn.

There was a third, long, painful silence, where Sam, Rachel, Blaine, Santana and Finn all waited with baited breath.

"It's too risky." She said finally, shaking her head. "I can't give away information that vital."

"What can we do then?" Blaine asked, stepping forwards in frustration. "What can we do to prove to you that we're good people?"

"Be a hero." Kitty shrugged. "Do something selfless! Something good. Then, maybe, I'll consider helping you."

"Fine." Sam said.

"We'll be back." Finn locked eyes with his old friend and turned, leading the others back out of the barn.

* * *

Blaine sighed and rested his head on his hands, which were folded atop the table of a booth in the far corner of the town's only bar.

"I don't know how to be a hero." He shrugged, sitting up again and peering around at the rest of the building. The entire bar was empty, except for a grizzled old man sitting at the bar itself who kept staring at them.

He made Blaine uneasy. There was something about the old man that put him off, a sixth sense that he should steer clear of him.

"Me neither." Rachel shrugged.

"Well...we have to come up with something." Santana said plainly, sitting on the other side of the table beside Sam and Finn.

"Yeah but-" Blaine trailed off as the waitress approached.

"Hello!" She said cheerily.

Sam turned and recognized her.

"Hey!" He realized. "You're the girl with the cow from this morning!"

"Yep!" She laughed. "My name is Tina Cohen-Chang, and I'll be your waitress today! And, like, every other day, since I'm the only waitress who works here." She smiled cheerily.

"I'll have milk!" Santana laughed.

"We have plenty of that!" Tina cheered. "Thanks to you!"

"I'm not that hungry." Blaine said. "I'll have a glass of milk though."

"Yeah, me too please." Rachel agreed.

"I'll have milk too." Sam said and Finn agreed.

"Sure thing, I'll be right back with that!" She smiled and began to walk away.

"Hey!" Blaine called out.

She turned back to him.

"Yes?"

"Who is that man?" He asked.

Tina turned and noticed the man sitting at the bar.

"Oh...he's just an old adventurer. He sits there every day, drinking." She pursed her lips in blatant disapproval. "Sorry if he makes you uncomfortable. I'd ask him to leave but...we can't really afford to turn away customers." She laughed, looking around.

"Oh that's okay...he's just...there's just something about him...forget it." Blaine shook his head and looked from the man, to Sam, frowning.

"Why _is _it so empty in here?" Rachel asked.

"It's the fog." Tina frowned. "Because of the lack of visibility, the citizens of Fayhaven don't go outside too much. They used to...back when we had entertainment...but I haven't seen our entertainers in years." She sighed.

"That's how I know you! Aha!" Finn cheered, snapping his fingers. "You were the waitress when Puck and Kitty used to perform here."

"Yep!" Tina said. "You were friends with them, weren't you?"

He nodded.

"Small world!" She smiled. "What happened to them? Do you know? Did you find Kitty, that's who you were looking for right?"

"We found her alright..." Santana grumbled sulkily, rubbing her neck.

Tina frowned and looked around the table, but apparently she decided that it wasn't any of her business, so she excused herself to get their drinks and took off into the back of the bar.

Blaine went back to watching the man, who looked back at them again. Not noticing that he was being watched, the man stared intently at the back of Sam's head. Blaine couldn't help but remember that old phrase; if looks could kill...Sam would be dead.

"Maybe we can hold a party!" Santana suggested. "They don't have any entertainment anymore, _we _could do it!"

"No..." Rachel shook her head, resting her elbows on the table. "That's not heroic enough."

"We could...hold a benefit concert?" Sam suggested.

"Nobody would go." Finn said. "They don't know who you are. Also we're fugitives, so it would be pretty dumb for us to advertise that."

"How are we going to become heroes? That is too vague a request, she should've just given us a direct assignment." Rachel said. "We could follow direct instructions!"

"Umm..."

They all turned as Tina returned, smiling sheepishly and carrying a tray with five glasses of milk on it. She set the tray down and then folded her hands, rocking gently on her heels.

"I think I have an idea that might help you..." She smiled nervously.

"Really? What?" Blaine asked.

"There's a forest not far from the village, it's called Whitemist Forest." She said. "There's a house somewhere inside owned by an old woman. She has eyes all over the woods, and people who enter...they've never come back out. If you can kill the woman, the mist would disperse, and trade would be able to start up between Fayhaven and Starryville again! You'd be heroes if you could do it!"

Tina paused, hands clasped, and looked at the five of them. Blaine and Rachel both looked ready to battle, but Sam and Santana looked hesitant. Finn was lost in his own world.

"Why should we kill this woman...?" Sam asked nervously.

"Yeah..." Santana agreed.

Tina frowned and looked away, losing herself in her own memories.

"She lures children into the forest...She kills them...eats them!"

"Oh no..." Rachel gasped.

"When I was younger, I lived at an orphanage in town. When kids were bad, they would be sent out into the woods...I'd never see them again..." She frowned and cleared her throat. "I've got a bone to pick with the old witch. You seem like nice enough people... and you'd be heroes! Isn't that what you're looking for?"

"Well...yes. Yes, it is." Sam said.

"Then meet me at the entrance to the forest tomorrow morning."

The others exchanged a look and, one by one, they nodded. They needed the title of 'hero' to get Kitty on their team. Without her, they didn't have a hope of finding Puck, and without him, the war was already lost.

"We'll do it." Finn said.

Though all he could think about as he stood and led the others out of the bar was whether or not Puck had made it through the woods all those years ago.

Tina smiled to herself as she watched the five strangers exit the bar, the bell above the door ringing to signal their exit. She turned away, biting her lip.

She would finally find out what had happened to her friends all those years ago; Hansel and Gretle... She'd given up on believing that they were still alive...she just wanted some closure.

She sighed.

Of course, convincing her parents to let her go into the woods with five strangers would be another story entirely...

The bell above the door rang and she turned, raising an eyebrow. It was rare to get one visit a day, let alone two!

"Hello." She smiled warmly at the woman who entered.

"Hi." She said distractedly, looking around the bar. Tina followed her gaze and noticed the five empty milk glasses on the table. "Have you seen a tall boy with sandy hair?" She asked.

"Umm..." Tina paused. "Why?"

"His name is Sam Evans, and...its better if you don't get involved." The woman said.

Tina paused hesitantly.

"No, I haven't seen him. Sorry!" She hastily turned away.

"You're lying." Another voice chimed in as somebody else entered the bar.

"No I'm not!" Tina squeaked without turning around.

"Where is he?" The same person yelled.

"I have to go!" Tina took off towards the bar; she leapt over it and ducked into the back room. She could hear her pursuers gaining on her and the clatter of bottles as they jumped over the bar after her. She dove out the backdoor and took off into the mist, leaving her pursuers behind.

Tina didn't stop running until she'd reached the church, sprinting through the front doors in a panic.

"What are you doing?" A sharp older voice stopped her.

She froze.

"Umm...nothing mother." She said, looking up at her parents, who were standing together at the altar as if waiting for somebody to enter.

They did this every day, but the people of their church had given up on a God long ago. It saddened Tina, that their town had become so hopeless. She didn't scorn those who didn't believe, but...she _did _scorn those who scorned her _for _believing.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Her father asked.

"It's almost night." Tina said. "Besides...it's not like we ever have any customers."

"You can't just abandon your post! If you leave the bar to vandals, how are we ever to trust you with the church?" Her mother glared at her.

"Mother..." Tina sighed. "I don't _want _to run the church!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Her mother said. "You need the Lord in your life, and I will see to it that you have him!"

"But mother, I don't need to run a church to have that! Faith is on the inside!" She looked from her mother, who scoffed, to her father, who looked away.

"Do tell us daughter, what _do _you wish?"

"I wish..." Tina paused, thinking about it...really thinking. "I wish to help. To help those who need it most!" Tina smiled brightly.

"Good, than you'll run this church as soon as we're gone, and you can help the sinners who have yet to believe." Her mother sniffed dismissively and stalked off into the back of the church where Tina and her family lived.

Her father looked at her sadly.

"Father, people don't need religion shoved down their throats! It isn't right! If people believe...that's great! And if they don't, then maybe they don't need to! Maybe they're happy as they are!"

Her father said nothing as he turned away from her.

"I'm going into the woods tomorrow." Tina said, dropping the bomb.

"What?" He turned around, surprised.

She didn't say anything.

"You'll do nothing of the kind!"

"But father-!"

"No." He snapped. "It's too dangerous. You're to stay in the church until your mother or I tell you otherwise!"

Tina deflated.

"Yes father..."

"Good." He frowned and turned away, walking off.

Tina sighed and moved to the altar, sitting down on the side that faced away from the seats, resting her head on her knees. She stayed that way for a long time until footsteps in the aisle set her on edge; she drew her knees into her chest and froze.

* * *

Finn looked out the window of the room he'd booked at the local inn. He looked around at the town where he'd grown up, all foggy and familiar, but he didn't feel the same draw towards it he'd felt at the start of his journey.

He heard a cough from behind him and turned, looking curiously at Blaine and Rachel, who leaned against opposite sides of his doorframe, both trying and failing miserably to look nonchalant.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Oh nothing..." Rachel said, inspecting her nails casually.

"Just thought you might want to go out on the town." Blaine smiled hopefully.

Finn paused, looking at them both critically.

"Why...?" He asked slowly.

"Just thought you might like to see the sights!" Rachel said.

Finn looked at the fog covered city outside and then turned back to Rachel, blinking. She gave him a cheesy grin.

"You know I grew up here...right?" He asked.

"Oh right!" Blaine snapped his fingers. "I'd forgotten! Did you remember that Finn lived here Rachel?" He asked, turning to face his sister.

"It totally slipped my mind!" She said. "But since you brought it up, why don't we go see your house!"

"Your yard."

"Your room."

"Your parents."

"Ahah!" Finn called, pointing at them both accusingly. "You're trying to make me reconnect with my parents!"

The siblings sighed in resignation and Blaine pushed off of the wall, approaching him and sitting down on the bed.

"I don't understand why you haven't even mentioned them yet! Don't you want to know what's happened to them? You haven't seen them in three years!"

"Yeah! Are they crazy homicidal maniacs, because trust me, we'll understand." Rachel said, standing at the foot of the bed, both siblings turned to face Finn, who leaned against the window.

"My parents are just weird." He said. "They're too...not like me."

"But you're weird." Blaine said.

"So are they normal?" Rachel asked.

"And thus, weird to you?"

"Yes." Finn nodded. "You figured it out." He groaned and Rachel nodded as if he'd just been very insightful.

"Well you should still go visit them." She said. "They're probably terrified that you've been killed."

"For all I know, they've been killed." Finn whined.

"Come on." Blaine stood up and grabbed Finn's wrist, forcing him from the room. "We had to see our Dad again, now it's your turn! We'll even bring weapons in case it turns out the same."

Ten minutes later, Finn was standing at the bottom of the stairs leading onto his own front porch. He sighed and turned around to glare at Blaine and Rachel, who were both beaming, quite proud of themselves for putting him in such an awkward situation.

He shook his head, narrowing his eyes at them, but knocked anyways.

Nobody answered.

"Knock knock!" He yelled, knocking on it harder.

"Maybe they're out?" Rachel suggested.

"If you don't come open this door right now, I will break it down and shove it up your-"

The door opened!

"Keep it down! People are sleeping!" A plump woman with curlers in her hair shushed Finn but then paused.

"It's like, two in the afternoon..." Blaine noted.

"We like to be well rested." She said absently. "Do I know you from somewhere?" She asked Finn.

"Yep, I'm your son. 'Kay bye!" He turned away and walked back down the stairs.

Blaine and Rachel each grabbed him under an arm and dragged him back up the stairs and through the door.

"Wipe your feet!" The woman called after them.

* * *

"I've never been to a church before." Santana smiled, looking up at the white painted steeple as it vanished into the mist. "I've always believed, but...it's always just been me in my room, praying on the moon."

"I wanted to bring you here...to talk to you about something." Sam said, grabbing her hand and leading her inside.

Santana looked at him curiously, confused as he led her up towards the front of the church. He sat her down in the front pew and sat with her, looking at the floor.

"Santana..." He started.

Sam wasn't good at addressing feelings. He cared about his friends, he really did, but he wasn't sure where to begin...so he jumped right in.

"We need you." He said.

Santana blinked.

"Wait, what?"

"We need you." Sam said.

Santana frowned.

"What are you talking about? Why did you bring me here Guppy Face?"

"Don't get defensive...Santana, I brought you here because...because I believe in you, and you need to know that you belong here, on this planet, in this kingdom, in our group."

Santana froze. How had he picked up on her fears? Were they that obvious?

"No, Sam, you don't." Santana laughed. "That's okay, I'm not offended." She lied, standing up and walking back down the aisle.

"Stop!" Sam lunged after her and grabbed her hand. "We do need you! Your father may not have, but sometimes...sometimes you have to do things for you! And that's okay!" He said.

Tina, hiding behind the altar, let that thought sink in.

"I brought you to this church because when I'm here, it reminds me that I'm not alone, that we're never alone! You aren't either. We love you, you're a part of our group, and we're not going to let you go without a fight. I can promise you that." Sam said.

Tina sighed. She felt alone often..._even_ when sitting in the church. She wanted to love and believe like the strange boy behind her did but...her parents had jaded their own religion for her. She believed, that wasn't the question, but she felt shallow, like she was believing because she'd been told, and not because she wanted to.

"I...I'm just a tag-along, you didn't even want me to come." Santana said, looking away.

"We didn't want you getting hurt. Now that you're here though, we need you. Before you came, yeah, we were pretty complete, but then you showed up and showed us what we were missing! You, Finn, Blaine, Rachel, you're all my friends and I need you all." He said. "I don't want you to feel like you don't belong, when you do! I want you to be able to feel like I feel when I'm here. I want you to feel loved...even when you've been wronged by life."

Tina closed her eyes. That was what she wanted too...more than anything. She didn't want this life of suffocating religion, she wanted to find God on her own, wasn't that what religion was all about? It wasn't a set of rules that you followed because you were told, it was a spiritual connection that made you strong when you were weak, or brave when you were afraid. That was the religion that Tina wanted...

She opened her eyes.

And she was going to get it.

"Thank you..." Santana whispered, wrapping Sam in a tight hug.

He was right; she'd been afraid, afraid of not belonging in this world. But maybe he was right about the rest too...maybe she _did _belong...maybe they _did _need her...maybe she just needed somebody to let her know it.

As she pulled away, the crystals on Sam's sword glowed a little brighter.

* * *

"Herbert! Finn's home!" Finn's mother called out. "And he looks repulsive!"

"Thanks a lot mother!" Finn cried out, sitting at the table and throwing his hands up.

"Well really honey, you look a sight! You're covered in scratches and scrapes and there's dirt all over you. You could almost pass for foreign!" She said with disdain.

"He's not that dark." Blaine scoffed, leaning forwards over the table.

"Elbows off the table!" The woman pushed him back as a wiry bespectacled man entered behind his wife. "Who do you think you are?" She asked as Blaine slowly withdrew his hands, sitting up straight and sharing a look with his sister, who was seated at the head of the table.

"What's she doing in my chair?" The man asked.

The woman walked over and shooed Rachel out of the chair, shoving her to the side rudely. Rachel stared at her in awe and then looked at Finn in confusion. He shrugged.

"Really, were you children raised by wolves?"

Rachel and Blaine shared a look.

"Umm..." Blaine paused.

"More...bears, really." Rachel said.

"And deer." Blaine smiled, wondering if Flower still had his old hat on.

"Well, you're free to leave whenever." Finn's mother said, attempting to comb down her son's flyaway hair. "Thank you for returning Finn to us."

Finn blinked.

"Wait, what?" He turned around and stood up. "I'm not leaving them."

"What do you mean what?" His father asked. "You're making a spectacle of yourself. Sit down and let your mother fix you."

"I'm not broken." Finn said, backing up.

Blaine and Rachel stood up and moved to stand behind him encouragingly.

"Well you're certainly not normal!" His mother tisked. "Look at you...is that a dagger!" She gasped and approached him.

Finn took a step back and shielded his weapon from her.

"Don't make me force that from your hand boy." His father growled.

Rachel drew her sword and Blaine whipped out his bow, more as a show of power than a threat, but it did the trick. Finn's parents stepped back disapprovingly.

"You've aligned yourself with savages!" His mother shrieked. "What has become of you? You were once such a perfect son, the perfect boy next door!"

The siblings both tensed. They thought they'd lost that nickname.

"Well I'm not that boy anymore." He said, he pivoted on his heel and stormed out of the house, Blaine and Rachel sheathing their weapons and following behind him.

"I'm sorry we brought you here." Rachel said as they stepped down the porch steps.

"Yeah...you didn't want to and we pressed the issue." Blaine said.

"No, it's fine. I was curious. At least now I know I'm right. I don't belong here anymore." He said.

"Finn!" His father bellowed from the porch. "Get back here this instant!"

"If you don't come back here right now, you're not coming back here ever!"

Finn stopped, unknowingly creating a parallel situation to Santana's. Only, now it was different. Santana's father had been hurting her, but Finn's were just the opposite. They tried so hard to make him perfect and clean and bright, that he hated them for it. Now, if they couldn't have the carbon-copy, they didn't want any of him.

"What's my favorite color?" Finn asked, turning around.

His parents blinked in confusion.

"Excuse me?" His father asked.

"I don't see how that's relevant."

"Come on Finn, let's just go..." Blaine mumbled, approaching him.

"No! What's my favorite color?"

"Blue, now come inside." His mother snapped, turning away.

"Wrong." Finn said. "It's red, always had been. Do you know why?"

"It was blue when you were younger..." His mother scoffed.

"No, he liked red because he likes the sunset." His father said.

"Wrong. I liked my friends' barn, because I got to escape this place." Finn said. "What were their names?"

"Finn, this is ridiculous, what point are you trying to prove?" His mother scolded.

Rachel stepped forwards, almost laughing.

"He's showing us all something...he's showing us that you spent so long focussing on what you wanted him to be, what you wanted him to know and to like and to experience, that you have no idea who your son even is!" Rachel looked at Finn. "Right?"

"Exactly."

"You saw your son for the first time in three years," Blaine started. "And you told him to wipe his feet! What is wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Finn's father scoffed. "The same clearly can't be said about you two!"

"No, I think they're pretty perfect." Finn said. "You guys are the ones who are flawed. Goodbye forever."

He turned away and the siblings followed.

"Why are you acting so emotional?" His father snapped. "Like some kind of freak!"

Finn stopped and turned back around slowly.

"Emotional? No, I'm just not being numb. I'm not suffocating myself trying to shove my emotions down my throat! You guys are the freaks! Fuck you both." He turned back around and walked off down the street.

**Into The Woods**

"You're to scrub these floors until they sparkle, you never know when we might receive a guest!" Tina's mother told her.

"Yes mother." Tina said, tying her hair back and kneeling down, dousing her rag in the bucket of water beside her.

"I'll be back to check on you." She turned and stalked away.

Tina waited all of five seconds before she threw the rag into the bucket and sprinted out of the church, untying the cloth from her hair and tossing it into the wind behind her, a rush of adrenaline pulsing through her veins. It was time to do something with her life!

* * *

"Come on!" Santana yelled up the stairs and Rachel hurried out the door of their hotel room, slipping her sword into the scabbard. She met Finn at the top of the stairs, who was anxiously holding onto his dagger.

"Ready?" She asked him.

"Nope." He grinned. Since dissing his parents the night before, he'd been in amazingly good spirits. They all seemed to be relatively happy, actually. It was kind of awesome.

"It's just one witch, we can take her. Don't worry." Rachel said encouragingly.

Finn nodded and followed her down the stairs where they met up with Blaine and Santana. They rushed outside of the inn to find Sam waving to an approaching Tina through the mist.

"Are you all ready? It's time to become heroes!" She told them as she approached.

"I think that was pretty much our end goal anyways." Blaine joked.

Tina smiled and beckoned for them to follow her.

As they walked, her curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you doing here anyways? Nobody visits Fayhaven, it's too sad." She laughed.

"We're on the run from the King and his bloodthirsty minions because I wouldn't let him feed my best friend to his pet dragon, so we found Blaine and Rachel living in the woods as savages and then we caused a village to get burnt to the ground and my boss died under a bathtub, then it rained so we stayed at a farmhouse and made friends with Santana and a pack of wolves then we had Finn join us because he's magical and lives on a bridge and then we went into the desert where we had a dance off for our lives and now we're here." Sam said.

Tina laughed.

"No really?"

"We uh...we're touring the whole Kingdom to look for a place to settle down." Rachel lied, wrapping an arm around Finn's middle.

"Oh that's cute!" Tina squealed. "Why are you all here?"

"Family and friends." Santana said.

"And why do you need to be heroes."

"It's on my bucket list." Blaine said.

"Aren't you a little young to be checking off a bucket list?" Tina asked.

"He has...a jungle virus." Finn said, nodding.

Blaine glared at him and mouthed the word 'what', but when Tina turned to look at him pityingly he coughed loudly to prove his newfound illness.

"That's so sad! I'll pray for you." She smiled.

"Thanks." He smiled.

They walked on in silence for a while longer before reaching the edge of the forest. The mist was so thick that they could barely see one another.

"We should hold hands." Tina said. "So we don't get separated."

She reached out and took hold of Sam and Rachel.

Being so close to the forest, she was nervous, and admittedly, the hand holding was more to comfort her than to keep them all safe. Sam took Santana's hand and Rachel grabbed Finn. Santana beckoned for Blaine to take her hand and he obliged.

Slowly the six of them entered the forest. The mist was so thick that Finn could only see Rachel, and everybody past her was lost in the cloud. The chain of hands holding them together was the only proof they had that they were all still there.

Tina wandered blindly forwards, leading them like a flock of birds, but she was scared, and relying on pure guesswork. The forest around them seemed to slither and tick with some sinister presence, and they all crowded closer to one another.

Slowly the crackling, slithering noises began to grow in volume.

"What is that?" Rachel looked around, but she could barely see Tina anymore, the mist was so dense.

"I don't know!" Sam cried.

"Something just touched me." Blaine said suddenly. "Guys, something's touching my-gah!"

They were all yanked to the side and Santana cried out as her hold on Blaine's hand broke.

"Blaine!" She yelled, flailing for his hand.

She felt a slimy tendril wrap around her wrist and she screamed.

Sam suddenly realized that he was reaching up with Santana's hand still in his.

"Santana!" He yelled, trying to pull her back out of the sky.

She screamed and tightened her grip, but more tendrils grabbed her legs and she was yanked roughly away from him.

Sam rushed after them both, pulling the group with him, but Tina stopped short, pulling the other way.

"If we finish the fight it'll all go away! We've got to hurry!" She insisted.

Tina ran forwards again and, however reluctantly, the others followed. The woods were alive with the sound of creatures creeping through the mist and it was absolutely terrifying.

Rachel screamed as a root reached out of the ground and wrapped around her leg. Finn used his free hand to shoot a ball of fire at it and it shrivelled away.

"The trees are alive!" Rachel yelled.

"Shit!" Finn yelled as two more roots grabbed him and pulled him to the ground.

"Finn!" Rachel yelled for him, but only his muffled screams responded as he was pulled away into the forest.

"There!" Tina yelled as they spotted a cheerful little cottage in the middle of the woods. It practically glimmered in the forest, a beacon in the mist. As they approached they found that the entire building was made of candy, a real life gingerbread house!

They continued to sprint forwards, rushing towards it.

"Almost there!" Rachel yelled as Sam took the lead, pulling them along in a line. They reached the door and broke apart, both girls watching nervously as Sam tried the knob. The door swung open. "We made-Ah!" She screamed as a large tree reached out a branch and wrapped it around her, pulling her into the mist.

"Rachel!" Sam felt his heart skip a beat and he ran after her but Tina grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"We've got to fight the witch! The trees will return to normal, I'm sure of it!" She said, and she was. Maybe this was God; maybe this sixth sense was what it was all about, but right now, she was on an adrenaline high.

It was up to her to help people. It was time to do what she'd been born to do!

"This is her house?" Sam asked as they stepped inside into a large room. The furniture inside of the house appeared to be real; it was only the walls and ceiling made of sweets.

Something about the candied panels made Tina uneasy...as if they were more than they appeared.

"She lures children here out of the woods. She controls the forest too, I bet. She scares children until they come running to this creepy little house."

"She didn't scare Rachel and the others..." Sam commented.

"Well..." Tina paused. In her head, she guessed that the Witch had the trees squeeze the life out of the children they caught, and then went out to fetch the bodies. She didn't bother sharing this theory with Sam. "I don't know..." She shrugged instead.

She stepped forwards, eyes peeled for any sign of the crony old woman who would know the truth about what happened to her friends long ago. In the fairytale Hansel and Gretle had returned home to their father and killed the Witch...but Hansel and Gretle had never had a father...and they'd certainly never returned to the orphanage.

The room was empty, except for several bookcases and an inviting looking couch with blankets lain across the back and children's books littering the ground before it. The bookcases themselves were filled with heavy, bound, scholarly looking material. The children's books were clearly just another trap.

In the right corner of the room, there was a closed doorway leading to another part of the house, and a long hallway leading further back.

"She's probably dangerous. I mean, she is a Witch..." Tina said reasonably.

"Where is she?" Sam asked, creeping forwards until he stood in the center of the room, atop a lavish looking rug. He looked down as his foot rested atop a strange protrusion in the floor. "Tina..." He said slowly, kneeling down and pulling the rug back.

The rug slid away to reveal a large brass handle to a trap door in the floor.

Tina eyed the trapdoor and then looked off down the hallway.

"Maybe we should split up. She's hiding, and if we move together she'll have more chance to move through the house. We can corner her if we separate." She suggested.

"Alright." Sam said, wrenching open the floorboards. "Yell if you find her."

"Okay." Tina nodded and turned away to venture down the hallway.

Sam grimaced and place his hands on the cold wooden ladder that descended into a cellar of sorts, and began to climb down it. His mind was racing, here he was, breaking and entering into the home of a potentially sweet old lady because some girl he'd just met told him that she ate babies.

What had he gotten himself into...

Now his friends were all in danger, and he was attempting to kill some old broad, hoping that it would make the magical forest stop squeezing the life out of them.

This entire situation made little to no sense.

He sighed to himself as he reached the bottom and turned around to investigate.

He froze.

"Holy shit..."

* * *

Tina sighed as she entered the second bedroom. There were only two rooms in the hallway, both bedrooms, both comfortable looking children's rooms. This woman was sick, that was clear in Tina's mind. She had a bone to pick, and, as passive as Tina tended to be, she wasn't about to forgive cannibalistic murder.

She turned and moved back down the hallway towards the main room of the house.

There was no sign of the Witch yet, and Tina was uncertain what to make of the situation. Grimly, she wondered if she'd gone out to check on Sam's friends, but she surmised that they were still alive. They had to be! She couldn't have just led four people to their deaths. Besides, they were adventurers, and they gave Tina a good feeling. They were strong, and they would fight to the bitter end.

She stepped out of the hallway and turned to face the door off of the main room. Hesitantly she put a hand on the candy-swirled doorknob and turned it, swinging the door inwards.

She slowly inched her way inside and found herself in a large kitchen, with an enormous coal stove on one wall, and knives and utensils of every sort littering a large table in another corner. Other than that, the kitchen was fairly empty. There were no cupboards...there were no food products at all as far as Tina could see.

She screamed as the door slammed shut behind her.

* * *

Sam gawked at the cellar.

No, not cellar; dungeon.

The only light in the entire room came from the trapdoor above Sam's head, but it was enough to illuminate at least six cramped metal cages hanging from the ceiling. There were small trays of sweets in each cage, but each one looked barely large enough to fit a child...

A child...?

Tina screamed from the floor above him and he leapt at the ladder.

"Tina!"

He frantically scrambled up the rungs, but just as he was about to scramble through the trap door at the top, it slammed down on his fingers. He yelled in pain and withdrew them, crying out as he found himself flailing in mid-air.

He reached out for the rungs of the ladder and managed to jerk to a stop, a sharp pain shooting up his arm at the suddenness. He planted his feet and shouldered the trapdoor, but it barely even budged.

"Tina!" He yelled again.

* * *

"Hello child..." A grizzly old woman with a hunch back and a full set of carnivorous looking teeth grinned at her, narrowing her beady eyes at the Preacher's daughter.

Tina backed away slowly, arms behind her to feel for the table that she had seen on her first look through.

"Wh..." Tina paused and swallowed deeply, praying for some confidence. "What happened to my friends?" She asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific deary." The woman cackled, taking a menacing step forwards and sniffing the air. "I've become well acquainted with several of the children from the village."

Tina tried not to think about that too much.

"Hansel and Gretle." Tina started.

The old woman paused and smiled slowly.

"Oh yes...I remember them..." She paused and looked at Tina with milky, frightening eyes. "One of the best meals I've ever had."

Tina's hand found the table, which was good, because otherwise, she might've collapsed to the ground.

"So it's true..." Tina whispered. "You eat children."

"No, no, you misunderstand!" The woman said, taking another step forwards. "I don't limit myself to children...you're, what...?" She sniffed the air. "Sixteen? Seventeen maybe? Certainly not a child...and yet...I'm sure I'll enjoy the feast you've so kindly delivered to me." She smiled menacingly.

"I'm not going to let you eat them!" She paused. "Well I'm not going to let you eat me either, but I brought _them_ out here, let them go!"

"Why would I do that? They've all fallen into my traps so nicely..." She waved a hand through the air and a cloud of mist emerged. Tina looked into the mist and saw Blaine struggling against a cluster of ivy that was slowly squeezing the air out of him. The image changed and she saw Santana flailing against a branch that was grabbing her ankle and holding her upside down in the air, then Finn, fighting against several roots that were pulling him into the ground, getting tighter and tighter. After Finn, Tina saw Rachel being squeezed against a massive oak tree, like it was giving her some kind of satanic hug, and finally, Sam, beating against the trap door for all he was worth. "No...I think I could eat for several months off of such a bounty."

She smiled again, that same twisted, evil grin.

Tina scowled, reached behind her, grabbed a kitchen knife, and whipped it through the air.

The Witch screamed and her eyes widened in surprise. She managed to clamber out of the way and the knife stuck itself in the gingerbread wall just behind her. Tina turned and grabbed a baking pan, holding it protectively in front of her as the Witch turned to face her again.

"Spicy. Aren't you child?" She spat. "I hate spicy!" She shrieked and raised a hand. She clenched it and Tina paused. She heard a whistling noise behind her, and ducked, just as another knife whizzed over her head from behind, landing and skidding along the ground in front of her.

Tina gasped and lunged forwards as the Witch picked up another knife with her mind and threw it down into the ground.

Tina managed to narrowly avoid it, and rolled onto her back, raising the pan above her as three more knifes whipped down towards her with such force that they stabbed through the large metal pan in her hands, stopping inches from her face where the handles got stuck.

Shoulder rolling back to her feet, Tina threw the pan as hard as she could at the witch, hitting her in the side and knocking her into the side of her own stove. Tina hurried onwards, grabbing the knife that had landed in the wall and wrenching it free. Through the small hole it created, she could see the trap door bulging outwards as Sam attempted to break it.

"Sam!" She yelled, but instinct caused her to duck as a large fireball singed the gingerbread above her head. She turned to find that the Witch had opened her stove and was waving her hands frantically as fire leapt out of it and at Tina.

"You won't escape this alive! I like my teenagers well done!" The Witch cackled. "Though I doubt any meal can top that of Hansel and Gretle. They were sweet. I _like_ sweet." She smiled.

Tina saw red.

She lunged forwards, ducked under a flying knife, jumped into the air and singed her dress on a beam of fire, pivoted around another knife and swung her arm, watching as the knife flew forwards and nailed the Witch in the forehead.

She heard a satisfying crack from behind as the trapdoor burst open. Seconds later, Sam had arrived in the kitchen, drenched in sweat and looking around at the weaponry littering the floor.

His eyes found the Witch whose eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets. The woman grabbed the knife and wrenched it free before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Sam stepped further into the room, carefully approaching Tina.

"Did you do it?" He asked.

"I...I think so..." She said, looking around.

"Foolish children!" The Witch's voice sounded.

The stove suddenly exploded in a torrent of flames that grew until it was the size of a small, cylindrical dragon that roared at them. The knives all flew into the air and began to accumulate on the other side of the room. The table and pans floated into the air just in front of them.

"Oh shit..." Sam mumbled.

"I am a Witch! A magical entity far greater than you could ever hope to be! I am more than a pesky body! You may have destroyed my worldly self, but as long as my house lives, I will not die! Kill them my pets!" She screeched.

The fiery dragon roared and flew at Sam, who screamed and dove out of the way.

"Roll!" Tina yelled, and he did so without second guessing.

Six knives buried themselves in the floorboards one after another, each narrowly missing him as he rolled out of the way. He jumped back to his feet and ducked immediately as the dragon lunged towards his face.

Tina, lunged forwards and grabbed one of the knives from the floor, but gasped as a pan smashed into the back of her head. She staggered upright, holding the knife as tightly as she could as several pans floated towards her. Her eyes widened as the table floated to the forefront. She gulped nervously and cringed as it flew towards her.

She cried out as it connected with her, smashing her into and through the gingerbread wall and sending her flying through the air, and smashing into a bookshelf. She dropped the knife on the floor, and felt a gash open up on her forehead. She crumpled to the ground and gasped as several of the books from the shelf tumbled down on top of her.

"How do we defeat a house?" Sam yelled, unsheathing his sword and attempting to cut through the dragon with it. It did nothing but make the blade hot. He swore and pivoted to the side, just in time to knock a pan backwards into two knives.

"I don't know!" Tina shrieked in panic, feeling around frantically for her knife. Another knife stabbed down towards her hand and she pulled away just before it reached her, gasping as it stabbed into an open book instead.

She seized the handle and was about to pull it out when the picture at the top of the page caught her eye.

"Rain..." She murmured.

She grabbed the knife and tossed it over her shoulder, looking at the cover of the book.

"A book of spells?" She paused. "That's black magic..."

She paused. The book falling open to that page, the knife drawing her attention to it... That was more than coincidence; that was fate. She opened to the page again, and looked up at the Gingerbread roof.

"It's a cookie!" She realized. "The house is a cookie! Rain will destroy it!" She looked down at the book and looked at the instructions. It was in a different language! "What do I do? Oh God, what do I do?" She held the book as tightly as she could and swallowed nervously, looking up to find the giant fire dragon had backed Sam into a corner and the knives were approaching both of them on all sides.

"Please God!" She prayed, closing her eyes and focusing as hard as she could on the spell in her hands, praying to God that it would work. She channeled as much energy and faith as she could into the paper. She could hear the knives getting closer, and Sam's cries of fear getting louder in the other room. "Rain!" She yelled.

There was an enormous thunderclap and they all looked up as a torrential downpour started, instantly leaking through the roof. In seconds the entire structure had crumbled and melted away to a soggy open floor.

The utensils clattered to the ground, puffs of dark smoke emerging from them and fading away in the wind. The fire dragon hissed and jerked back and forth, shrinking as the rain attacked it.

Sam watched in awe as the final flame flickered out.

"You did it!" He yelled, racing towards Tina and wrapping her up in a huge hug, spinning her around. They both turned as the fog began to lift in the forest around them. They could see the huge tree that had captured Rachel now that the wall had dissolved into a soggy paste.

Rachel gasped as the tree let her go and snapped back into the shape of a regular tree, mist oozing out of it and floating away into the atmosphere. She hit the ground hard and looked up as Sam and Tina ran towards her.

"How did you do this?" She gawked, leaping onto Sam and holding him tightly, smiling like mad. She had scratches all over her arms and neck where her skin had been showing, and her ribs would bruise, but she was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"I didn't!" He looked at Tina. "She did!"

Rachel excitedly hugged her and then grabbed their hands.

"Let's find the others!"

* * *

Finn winced as the rain began to fall on his face, splattering his hair. There was blood coming from where the roots had cut into his arms and legs, and his palms were scratched to pieces, but just as suddenly as the rain had started, the roots backed off, withering off into the ground like embarrassed snakes.

He stood up and looked around in confusion.

"How...?"

* * *

Blaine tried to bite into one of the vines restraining him, but gasped as it wrapped around his head instead, choking him. He tried to gnaw into it, but it wasn't working, and the other vines were holding him too tightly, he couldn't breathe!

He looked up at the sky as a torrential downpour started.

The vines paused and then slithered away, setting him free. He blinked in confusion and stood up, rubbing his wrists. He would have ring-like bruises all over his body, but he was alive. Because of the rain?

He looked further into the forest.

No, it was his friends! They'd done it!

He ran forwards and cried out suddenly as Santana was dropped from a tree, almost on top of him.

"What happened?" She asked, standing up and staggering about as the blood rushed back to the rest of her body.

"They did it!" Blaine grinned. "We're alive!"

* * *

Tina smiled as she looked up at the sky. She'd done it. She'd found God on her own. She'd helped people! The mist had dispersed, the people could be happy again! Trade could start up between Starryville and Fayhaven once more, and more importantly, there would be no more lives cut short by that Witch.

She paused.

Now if only the same were true of the King.

What she wouldn't give to stop him too...

* * *

_**Hmm, it seems that Tina has a grudge against the King as well! Finn has confronted his family, and Sam seems to have taught Santana that she does belong. The team also seems to have vanquished the mist from Fayhaven! But what will happen when Tina's parents find out what she's done? And what about the people that are hunting Sam and his friends?**_

_**In the next chapter, Santana stands up for herself against the father that plagues her dreams, Tina teaches Sam a valuable lesson, and Santana teaches her how to cut loose. Sam learns another piece of the mystery of his parents that sends him spiralling into a deep depression, and when their lives are all threatened once more, Tina makes a brave choice. Santana and Rachel come to a boiling point in their arguments about love, and Blaine learns that he and Kitty have something in common after all. In the end, Blaine has to make a decision that will determine the fate of somebody very close to him, and he may not choose to make them live... **_


	9. Chapter 9

****_**Hello everybody! This is a huge Chapter for this story, it's essentially the middle point. From here on in, things are going to snowball. Person after person, problem after problem, battle after battle. The action pretty much starts rising here and it doesn't stop until the end. I love it! So here you go! Hope you enjoy! Read, and review please! It means so much to me!**_

_**I don't own Glee!**_

**The Preacher's Child**

Marley Rose sighed to herself, looking at Quinn's body, floating in the air in the middle of Marley's own magical world. As surely as she was hanging in midair, Marley knew that Quinn was hanging in the balance between life and death.

The Rose, which was still clasped tightly in her hands, had complicated the process. She had cheated death!

Marley approached the comatose girl and reached out to brush the hair off of her forehead.

She paused.

"Oh...oh no...oh no, oh no..." Marley could see the grass through Quinn's body, which meant one thing; Quinn was fading away!

In order for Quinn to rejoin the land of the living, those who loved her the most, the same love that kept her there now; had to believe that she was still alive! More than that, they had to believe that their love was stronger than death.

"Sam." Marley focused hard, trying to communicate with him.

It didn't work.

Taking Quinn from the Piper's possession had robbed her of most of her energy. She didn't even have the power it took to see into Sam's thoughts! She was helpless until she recuperated.

She blanched as Quinn's pretty pale cheeks got a shade lighter.

Quinn was running out of time.

* * *

"We did it!" Santana cheered as they burst through the doors of their hotel.

"Yeah we did!" Blaine high-fived her, beaming. Rachel and Finn ran in after them.

"I am so tired!" Finn laughed, disappearing up the stairs.

"You gonna come in?" Sam smiled, grabbing Tina's arm, but she shook her head.

"I should really be getting back to the church. My parents run it, and they forbade me from going into the woods, but now...I'm sure they'll see that it was worth it!" She smiled hopefully.

"Definitely!" Sam grinned, turning towards the Church, which was now clearly visible on the horizon. "I'll join you!"

Tina laughed.

"You don't have to!"

"It's the least I can do! You made us heroes." He smiled. "You have no idea how much we needed that." The rain had lifted and a bright moon had taken its place, shining down on the two of them as they strolled away from the hotel.

Tina mulled that over as they walked, and as they stepped through the doors of the church, she decided to ask about it.

"What is your story?" She asked.

"What makes you think I have one?" Sam smiled.

The church was empty, still, but it felt warmer to Tina now, like she'd discovered its purpose. She felt closer to God.

"Everybody has a story." Tina said logically. "Why do you need to be heroes?"

Sam sighed.

"You should sit down..."

And he told her.

Sam spilled his story, and Blaine's and Rachel's, and Santana's, and Finn's. He told this girl everything that he had to say, and it felt good to get it all off his chest. She stayed silent the whole time, eyes fogging over at the deaths of Quinn and Bruce, brows furrowing at Mercedes's capture or Santana's father, and gasping at the story of the siblings and their parents.

"So that's it." Sam sighed, sitting back.

Tina was silent for a very long time, thinking about it.

"I want to come with you." She said suddenly, looking down at the ground, nodding seriously to herself. "Yes. I want to help people."

This time it was Sam's turn to fall silent. Did he want to put Tina in that kind of danger? She would be the first person to join them since Quinn had died...but they'd never make it out of this mission alive if they didn't build an army, and she'd handled herself perfectly fine at the Witch's cabin.

"Why?" He asked, eventually.

Tina sighed.

"When I was young, I lived in an orphanage. I prayed and prayed that one day, a good family would adopt me. When the pastor and his wife came and chose me, out of all of the other children, I was so excited! I thought I'd get my chance to help others, and for a while, working here and at the bar, I had a great life...but I realized something..."

"What?"

"It was empty. The people of this church believed because it was convenient. When the world around them began to fall into a state of disarray, when this new King came into power, the church lost its followers. I'd always thought that nothing could get in the way of true devotion, which led me to believe that the people here had never needed religion, not really. It got me wondering...did I? I believed in God, but why? Was I doing it because I needed to, or because it's what I'd been told?"

Sam said nothing, but waiting for her to continue.

"People will come back to this church now, especially since the mist has dispersed, and my father will tend to them wonderfully...but that...this...it isn't for me. I need to help people, like you helped me. With the cow...in the forest...in here, telling me your story. You inspired me Sam, you inspired me to open up my heart. I found God in that forest, and I'm glad I did, because that experience showed me just how much I was capable of. You're right, the King is wrong, and somebody has to right him. I want to help, that's all I've ever wanted."

Sam smiled at her.

"Welcome aboard." He smiled. "Take your time saying your goodbyes...tonight, we deserve a rest." He grinned and jumped to his feet, taking off towards the door to the church. "I'll meet up with you tomorrow!" He yelled back.

Tina laughed and stood up, smiling so broadly that she was afraid her face might break in two.

"Okay!" She smiled and waved, and then turned towards the altar.

"You didn't clean the floors." Her father stood in the shadows of the church.

Tina gasped and took a startled step backwards.

"I'm sorry...but look at the results! It was worth it! Sometimes you have to fight for what's right!" She said earnestly.

"You're telling me that the mist dispersed because you ventured into the woods."

"No...I'm telling you that the mist dispersed because I vanquished the Witch. Me, father. I defeated her, and brought joy to our village!"

Her father took a step into the light, looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

"Your mother will not be pleased." He said.

"I know..." Tina sighed. "I'll clean the floors right now, I promise!" She made to search for her bucket but he stopped her.

"Not that." He said. "She'll be angry if you leave."

Tina froze; eyes wide.

"You heard that?" She asked. He nodded.

"Who was that boy?"

"...A hero, father. A man who would rather die than see the world in such a state of chaos. It's thanks to him and his friends that I made it to the Witch at all. It just takes one person to make a difference, I know, but...with friends by your side...you can make a whole world of difference!"

"What you said to him...is that how you really feel?" Her father asked.

"Yes." She said.

"Than go pack your things." He smiled down at her and kissed her on the forehead. "And may God be with you."

"Really?" Tina gasped, eyes sparkling. "Oh thank you!" She hugged him tightly.

"Be quick, your mother's gone to market, she'll be back before long I'm sure." He smiled at her. "Now hurry, your destiny awaits!"

"I won't let you down." Tina smiled and ran off into the back of the church.

"I believe that." He called after her.

* * *

When Sam got back to the hotel, he found Santana sitting outside, waiting for him.

"Hey!" He smiled at her.

"Hi." She smiled.

"What's up?" He asked.

"I'm just thinking." She shrugged.

"What about?" He sat down beside her and looked up at the night sky.

"Us." She said. "You and I, Rachel, Blaine, Finn...Tina. We brought joy to this village. We showed them the stars for the first time in their lives! If we can do that, what can't we do?" She smiled at him.

Sam paused, grinning knowingly.

"We." He said.

"Hmm?"

"You said we."

Santana smiled meaningfully at him.

"We're a team. We belong together, and as long as we have one another, we can take on the world." She stood up and moved towards the door. "We should get some sleep."

"I'll be in in a minute, I just want to look at the stars for a second."

Santana nodded and stepped inside. Moments later she stepped back out.

"Sam?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Sam smiled and looked over at her. He stood up and pulled her in for a hug.

"Let's get some sleep."

* * *

_ Sam's eyes flickered open and he found himself back in the stormy meadow again. He sighed and let his head fall to the ground, closing his eyes again and willing himself to wake up from his dream. _

_ Somebody cleared their throat and he looked up._

_ A smooth skinned hand was extended to help him up. He took it, and rose to look into Tina eyes. _

_ "Tina?" He asked._

_ "Yes?" She smiled._

_ "I...You're not Puck."_

_ "No, no I am not." She smiled and laughed her light, birdsong laugh. _

_ "Why...not?" Sam asked. _

_ "Puck was here the last time you were here, right?" Tina guessed. Sam nodded. "Well that's because you had something to learn from him, and you've learned it. You value the people that are in your life now, you've stopped passing them by. You're reaching out when people need you to reach out. It's inspiring, really." _

_ She smiled at him._

_ "I'm not like, a martyr." He said bashfully. _

_ "Oh, but you are." Tina said. "You reached out to me. You saved me, long before we went into the woods. It's not just me either, your friends, you're healing them." She smiled again and reached out to take his hand again. "Come with me."_

_ Sam took her hand and she led him across the meadow to a door, floating in mid-air. She opened it and the wind whipped past him until he'd been pulled inside. When he looked up, Santana was sitting, broken and chained to her chair. _

_ Santana was crying as her father stared down at her. _

_ "Nobody wants you." He was saying. "Nobody!"_

_ And then...just as suddenly as she'd started...Santana stopped crying. _

_ "That's not true." She looked up at him. _

_ She'd broken his chains once, she could do it again._

_ "Isn't it?" Her father sneered._

_ "No." She said. _

_ Sam watched as several beams of colourful light shot out of the darkness and into the shackles, unlocking them and sending them plummeting to the floor. She stood up and her father staggered backwards. _

_ Sam looked down and found that one of the beams, a brilliant white one, was coming from his heart._

_ "No! How?" Her father yelled. _

_ "Because I am not yours to tie down. I am not you! I am them!" She insisted. "And I am me...and that's okay too." She nodded. She felt like crying tears of joy. _

_ Her father growled and turned away into the darkness, but the brightly coloured lights began to spin around them, whipping up a whirlwind that tossed Santana's hair wildly. Sam looked up at Tina who was looking on; genuinely touched. A bright pink light shone from her. _

_Her father turned back to Santana and hissed, but she stared him down. _

_ "I belong in this world, and you can't hold me back anymore." She said. "Show yourself."_

_ "What?" Her father said._

_ "Your true self." Santana said coldly. _

_ Her father growled, but began to shimmer and shrink in a dark light. When the transformation was finished, Santana stood glaring eye-to-eye with herself. She smiled at the shadowy doppelganger before her._

_ "I'm not you anymore." Santana said. _

_ "You can't just throw me away!" Her shadowy self shrieked._

_ Santana turned her back on the embodiment of her insecurities._

_ "Yes. Yes I can." She said. A bright silver light shot out of her and rammed into her clone, shoving her backwards. The other lights wrapped around her and dragged her out of the ring of lights._

_ When Santana turned back around, Sam stood before her. _

_ "I like this dream a lot better than the first one." He said. _

_ "Me too." She nodded. "Thank you." _

_ "Anytime." He wrapped her up in a big bear hug and she smiled. _

_ Soon, however, the lights slowed to a halt and Santana faded out of his arms. He turned back to Tina with a questioning look._

_ "Where did she go?" _

_ "She's done here now." Tina smiled. "She doesn't need this world anymore. You broke through!"_

_ "I...I saved her?" Sam turned and looked back at the chair._

_ "People don't understand how powerful kindness is." Tina smiled. "You're a kind person Sam, you just needed to learn when to use it."_

_ "So you're here to show me that I helped Santana?" He smiled hopefully._

_ "No." Tina shook her head. "I'm here, because there's something you need to learn from me. You opened your eyes to help Santana...now you need to open your heart to help the others. I was blind to the world around me when I lived in the Church. When I opened my heart and allowed what you had to say, to sink in...I was saved. Your journey isn't over yet."_

* * *

**The Followers**

Tina gasped as she stepped into the bar.

She'd changed into a straight white dress with a brown belt around her midsection with matching brown boots and a pink necklace draped around her neck. She carried a messenger back, topped up with supplies for the road , a Bible, and some accessories.

The bar was packed with people! More people than she'd ever seen in one place in her sad little town! It seemed like everybody in Fayhaven had arrived to celebrate the good weather. Some of the old maids who had worked in the bar years ago had returned and were covering for Tina, and there wasn't a person in the building without a smile on their face.

"Holy shit!" Santana gawked, stepping in behind her. The others filed in behind her, staring around at the mass of people in shock.

"There are so many people!" Tina squealed. "Look! The band is even back!"

"They're not doing anything." Rachel noted.

Santana looked from the band, to Tina, to the people.

"I think it's time to cut loose." She grabbed Tina's arm and pulled her towards the bar.

"I don't remember how!" Tina protested!

"Then I'll show you! Hit it band!"

-**Musical Cue-**

**-Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody-**

Santana strutted into the center of the dance floor, leaving Tina at the bar.

_"Uh!"_ She grinned. _"Yeah...Wooh!" _

The band picked up and Santana began bobbing to the music.

_"Hey yeah, ah! Ooh yeah, uh huh, yeah!" _She beamed as the patrons of the bar began to turn and notice her._ "I want to dance!" _She cheered, looking over at her friends and wiggling her shoulders jokingly.

_"Clock strikes upon the hour, and the sun begins to fade!" _She sang, standing and bobbing, she broke out into a grin. _"Still enough time to figure out, how to chase my blues away!" _

She strutted towards the bar, smirking at Tina.

_"I've done alright up 'til now! It's the light of day that shows me how. And when the night falls...The loneliness calls."_

She grabbed Tina's arm and pulled her into the center, Tina jumping in with harmony.

_"Oh I wanna dance with somebody!" _They sang, grabbing hands and spinning in a circle. _"I wanna feel the heat with somebody!" _They pulled in close, turning so they were back to back, but still turning in a circle. _"Yeah I wanna dance with somebody! With somebody who loves me."_

They broke free and jumped out, facing one another and crossing their ankles to spin in a full circle.

_"Oh I wanna dance with somebody! I wanna feel the heat with somebody!" _Santana skipped backwards, leaving Tina in the center of the floor. _"Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody! With somebody who loves me!" _

_ "I've been in love and lost my senses!" _Tina sang, throwing her arms out, spinning in a circle. _"Spinning through the town!" _

She stopped and turned to face Finn, grinning jokingly.

_"Sooner or later, the fever ends and I wind up feeling down!" _She skipped towards him and grabbed his arm, pulling him forwards against his protests, laughing. _"I need a man who'll take a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last! So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls!" _

Santana and Rachel sang the harmony from the side as Tina jumped into the chorus.

_"Oh I wanna dance with somebody!" _She sang, clapping her hands to the beat and step touching on a diagonal as Finn mirrored her. _"I wanna feel the heat with somebody!" _He grabbed her hands and spun her out and then in close, stepping out of the way so that she continued spinning onwards. _"Yeah I wanna dance with somebody! With somebody who loves me."_

Blaine stepped in and grabbed her as she continued singing, dipping her and grinning down at her.

_"Oh I wanna dance with somebody! I wanna feel the heat!" _Blaine snapped her back to her feet, and she pressed a hand against his chest, strutting forwards and walking him backwards. _"Yeah I wanna dance with somebody! With somebody who loves me!"_

_ "Somebody who!" _Rachel and Santana found one another and bobbing together, duop-ping. _"Somebody who!" _

_ "Somebody who loves me!" _Tina wailed, swaying teasingly at Blaine.

_ "Somebody who! Somebody who!"_

_ "To hold me in his arms, oh!" _She turned and her eyes found Sam's who grinned in resignation. _"I need a man to take the chance, on a love that burns hot enough to last! So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls!" _

She grabbed him and pulled him into the dance floor as Finn and Blaine skipped forwards, meeting Rachel and Santana in the center respectively.

_"Oh I wanna dance with somebody!" _They grabbed hands and swung them up over their heads, sliding out and then pulling in again. _"I wanna feel the heat with somebody!" _They wrapped their arms around their partner's midsections and walked in a circle.

Rachel and Santana laughed as they sang the harmony, beaming at their friends as they put on a show.

_"Yeah I wanna dance with somebody!" _The girls stepped away from their partners and walked a circle around them, tracing their collarbones with their index fingers. "_With somebody who loves me!" _

Sam shook his head, beaming and laughing down at Tina, who was cutting loose for the first time in a really long time.

_"Oh I wanna dance with somebody!" _The boys grabbed their partners waists and lifted them up, spinning in a circle as they bent one leg in. _"I wanna feel the heat with somebody!" _The girls wrapped their arms around their partners necks and dropped into their arms.

_ "Yeah I wanna dance with somebody!" _The girls flipped out of their partners arms and landed on the ground. "_With somebody who loves me!" _

_ "Oohoo!" _Tina cheered, jumping up and down and beckoning for the crowd to join them on the dance floor.

_"Dance!" _The boys talk-sang.

_"Come on baby!" _Santana teased.

_"Dance!" _The boys continued to repeat their line as the girls fooled around vocally over top of them.

_ "Woo!" _Tina sang.

_"Yeah!" _Santana cheered.

_"Now get with this!" _Rachel cheered and then laughed.

_"Whoa!" _Santana wailed. _"Don't you wanna dance? With me baby!"_

_ "Don't you wanna dance? With me boy!" _Rachel laughed.

_ "Hey don't you wanna dance? With me baby!" _Santana nodded and Tina joined her._ "With somebody who loves me!"_

_ "Don't you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don't you wanna dance!" _The three girls cheered. _"Don't you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don't you wanna dance!" _

_ "Don't you wanna dance, say you wanna dance!" _Rachel wailed.

_ "Uh huh!" _Tina sang.

_"With somebody who loves me!" _They sang as Santana belted over top of them.

The band gradually began to fade out as Tina vocally riffed atop them. When they were finished the audience cheered and the group bowed, first the boys, then Rachel, Santana and finally, Tina.

Tina broke out into a broad grin, fanning her face and laughing as the performance high wore off. She accepted Finn's high five and waved to people who cheered her on.

Santana collapsed in a fit of laughter in Rachel's arms, just revelling in having a good time. They hadn't had many on their journey, and it felt great to just cut loose!

* * *

"Hey!" Blaine grinned, leaning against the counter of the bar in a tipsy stupor. He wasn't drunk, but he was definitely feeling the party.

Sam smiled at him, sitting on the stool and laughing as Rachel drunkenly collapsed on the ground. Santana began trying to haul her back to her feet.

"Hey!" Sam said.

"You havin' a good time?" Blaine asked.

"Definitely! This is awesome!" Sam grinned ecstatically, turning to look around the bar.

Blaine sobered up immediately as he realized who was sitting on the other side of Sam. It was the old man who had given him a bad feeling the day before. The party was still going on, but as the old man opened his mouth, Blaine was frozen in place.

Like all good things, apparently the comfortable atmosphere had to come to an end.

"You have your father's smile."

"Fuck." Blaine swore.

"What?" Sam turned to face the withered old man, who stared at him with a strange mixture of longing and bitterness.

"Your father. You have his smile."

"You knew my father?" Sam asked. He knew Blaine was behind him, but all of his senses were on the man before him. The note, still in his pocket, felt heavy as a boulder.

"Greatest swordsman I ever knew, your father." The man drawled. "Then you came along..."

"Sam, maybe we should leave." Blaine grabbed his friend by the arm and tried to pull him away, but Sam wrenched his arm free.

"It was a tragedy when he was killed by the King."

It took a moment for the old man's words to register, but suddenly, Sam's head was spinning. He grabbed at the counter for support, but slipped past it. He felt somebody catch him under the arm, and somebody was yelling beside him, but he couldn't focus on anything. It didn't even register for him to move his legs.

_Killed by the King...greatest swordsman...you came along... _His father had been a swordsman. A trained swordsman, and a good one. He'd gone up against the King, and lost! And what was that about Sam coming along? Had he had something to do with his father's murder? What was he doing? Challenging the King? He was no soldier! He was a Blacksmith's Apprentice! He couldn't do this! He couldn't do this!

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Blaine was yelling when Sam came to. "He lost his parents a long time ago, he'd come to terms with it and you throw a fucking bomb at him like that! At least he's trying to make something of his life! If he can pick up the pieces after you broke him!" Blaine yelled. "All you do is sit at a bar and drink away your sorrows! Your pathetic, you're no hero, you're an asshole!"

He stumbled as Sam pulled away from him and stared at them both like a wounded puppy.

"Sam, don't dwell on it, come on, you've come so far..."

Sam turned and ran.

"Sam!" Blaine yelled, racing after him, almost running into Kitty in the doorway. He was in such a rush that he didn't notice her frantic demeanor, and when she tried to grab hold of him, he broke free and ran off into the night after his friend.

Tina stepped forwards, looking confused as Kitty appeared.

"Kitty?" She asked, awestruck. "Kitty!" She grabbed the other girl and hugged her tightly.

"Have you seen Finn?" Kitty asked. She was trying very hard to stay calm. Three years cooped up in a barn with little to no social contact did something to a person. She had seen the mist disperse and gone to investigate. She'd been shocked to find the town in greater spirits than ever. Then she'd spotted the Imperial soldiers storming through the gates. That's when she realized just how in danger her friend was.

"Yes, he's over this way, why? Is something wrong?" Tina asked in a panic, looking around.

"Yes!" Kitty ran past her towards where Finn, Rachel and Santana were conversing near the bar.

Tina looked around at the sea of people and froze as her eyes found the woman who had demanded the whereabouts of Sam and his friends the day before. The woman was looking around with a sharp, serious gaze.

"Oh no..." She whispered, running towards the others.

"They're here! A party in your honour? Obviously it's going to draw the soldiers to you! You have to get out of here!"

"We!" Finn said. "I'm not leaving you again."

"Fine." Kitty nodded.

The barn doors opened and Santana swore as several soldiers began to step in.

"Over the bar! Go!" Tina shoved them all through a half-door and pushed them into the backroom and out the backdoor of the bar.

"Blaine and Sam!" Santana said, looking around.

"They ran off!" Tina frowned.

Where could they have gone? She had no idea! Wait...yes she did!

"I'll be back! Go on without me! Escape into the forest, the soldiers won't follow; they don't know it's safe yet!" Tina urged them onwards. "Meet at the remains of the Witch's cottage! Hurry!"

She turned and sprinted off into town again. She'd just made it past the front of the bar when the woman who had confronted her the night before spotted her and took off in pursuit.

* * *

Blaine slowed to a stop as he neared the doors of the church, looking in he found Sam sobbing in the back pew, just inside the door. Silently Blaine sat down next to him and resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let this get you down Sam. You are stronger than that..."

Sam scoffed.

"You are!"

"Not strong enough!" Sam spat angrily. "If my father, a warrior, couldn't kill the King, how could I have been dumb enough to even entertain the idea?"

"Stop." Blaine turned his friend to face him, despite Sam's resistance and refusal to look him in the eyes. "Sam..."

Blaine took a deep breath and looked around at the church.

"I don't believe in God." He said. Sam looked at him, confused and annoyed. "But I believe in hope, and kindness, and equality, and faith, and...and love! I believe in a lot of the things that He stands for."

"Cool." Sam said bitterly.

"Sam..." Blaine sat back, feeling slightly insulted.

He persevered anyways.

"Hope, kindness, love, faith...those are all things that you have already, inside of you. Those are the things that make you truly strong! It's not how much training you've had, or what weapons you've got. If you've got something worth fighting for, and you do, you can take on an army."

Sam frowned, but some of the anger and bitterness left his eyes.

"You have more to fight for than anybody now. You've got me and Rachel and Finn and Santana and Tina. You've got your mother...You've got the Blacksmith, and Brittney, and Quinn...and now you have your father. We believe in you, all of us, I know it. Now stand up, let's go pack our bags, and you can go prove me right...alright?" He asked.

Sam sniffed silently and stood up. Blaine reached out and hugged him tightly.

"You're stronger than you think you are." He said, and then turned away, just as Tina burst through the door in a crazed panic.

"The Imperial army is here!" She yelled.

Blaine and Sam froze for a split second, and then both dove out the door with Tina in tow.

"Where are the others?" Sam asked.

"They ran ahead, we're supposed to meet them at the Witch's cottage!" She turned them around and shoved them off in the direction of the forest but stopped when somebody yelled from behind her. "Run! I'll hold them off!"

"Tina!" Sam started sternly.

"No! I said I want to help people, and I'm helping you! Go!" She shoved him away and made serious eye contact with Blaine, who nodded and pulled his friend towards the forest.

Tina turned determinedly, noting that her last stand would be this very windy night in front of her own church.

"What is your problem?" The woman yelled approaching her. She had blonde hair and blue eyes that might've been friendly if she weren't glaring at her. A darker skinned woman ran up behind her, panting and confused.

"You're not getting to them." Tina said, glaring at them and preparing for a fight.

"You're not keeping them from us." The girl said, drawing a sword that she recognized as Imperial from the books that she'd read about them.

"I'll fight you." Tina said. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Girl, pretty sure we could take you." The other girl approached. "It's two against one."

"I'm stronger than I look."

"So are we." The blonde glared at her. "You wanna go?"

"Fine." Tina was actually terrified. "I'm not going to step aside and let you kill them. The King deserves what he has coming to him!" She braced herself for the battle to begin.

"Wait what?" The black girl blinked in confusion.

"I don't care if you are Imperial soldiers! I've got magic on my side!" Tina lied.

"...We're not Imperial soldiers..." The blonde said. "My name's Brittney...this is Mercedes. We're just kids..."

"Wait, what? Then why are you chasing Sam? And why do you have an Imperial sword?"

"I stole it." Brittney explained. "And Sam's my friend, I'm trying to help him out!"

"Stop!" Another voice boomed.

"It's Coal!" Mercedes swore and shoved Brittney forwards. "Run!"

Brittney nodded and sprinted forwards, grabbing Tina's arm as she passed. Mercedes was hot on their heels. The three of them had barely escaped into the woods when Coal came to the edge of it, peering inside the brambles trying to find them again.

"Mercedes!" He yelled, but she did not respond.

He swore and turned around as Riker and Savannah approached.

"Find anything?" Savannah asked tiredly.

"Nothing. They're not here. It was a false alarm." Coal said. "Go back to the castle, I've got some business to tend to in town."

"What do you mean this was a false alarm?" Riker asked angrily. "It couldn't have been!"

"The mist went away and the people celebrated. False. Alarm." Coal snapped.

"Why were you running like a lunatic than?"

"I thought I saw somebody. I was wrong. Are you doubting me?" Coal asked, stepping up to Riker and staring him down.

"Maybe I am!" Riker snarled. "Maybe I don't think you're fit to lead this team anymore!" He snapped.

"Boys! Leave the bloodshed for the fugitives." Savannah said, stepping in between them and grabbing Riker's arm. "We'll see you back at the castle." She told her brother and then walked away.

As they walked Riker turned to Savannah.

"They were here...I know it." He growled.

"You'll get another chance. We've still got some tricks up our sleeves."

As they turned a corner, Coal turned to look back at the woods and stepped inside.

* * *

"Where are they...?" Rachel mumbled worriedly, pacing back and forth.

The alcohol had worn off in the still moist, cold night air of the Whitemist Forest, and her boots clicked on the hardwood floors that still remained of the Witch's cabin.

"I'm sure they'll be here." Kitty reasoned, attempting to be comforting. "I mean, they all know how to find this place, and without the mist it'll be even easier."

"If they even make it into the forest, yeah! What if they've been captured?" Rachel snapped irritably. She was worried. The two people that she loved most in the world were in danger; her brother and her...well...Sam.

"Rachel!" Blaine yelled out suddenly, and Rachel turned, screaming in surprise as he lifted her into the air and spun her around. She detached and hugged Sam as he approached.

"Where's Tina?" Kitty asked, looking around.

"She stayed behind to hold off the soldiers..." Sam frowned. "I didn't want to let her but..."

"There were soldiers just around the corner! If she hadn't stopped them, they would've caught us!" Blaine frowned. "She saved our lives, all of them."

"It's Mercedes all over again." Sam sighed, turning away and kicking his shoes against the ground.

The others fell silent, looking around with a mixture of fear and irritation.

"Well...we can't stay here." Kitty said, stepping off of the flooring and back into the forest. "Starryville is fairly far away, and we have to go through it to find Puck. Besides, staying in one place means they'll be able to track us easier, we're still too close to the village to make camp."

"She's right." Rachel sighed, running a hand through her hair and stepping off after her. Silently Santana and Blaine followed. Finn offered Sam a sad smile before he moved off after them and Sam groaned, folding his arms and following behind them.

Fifteen minutes later, Tina led Mercedes and Brittney to the ruined building. She frowned and put her hands on her hips, blowing hair out of her face and looking around, flustered.

"They must've kept going..." She sighed.

"Going where?" Mercedes asked.

"Starryville. This forest leads right to the gates, or so I've heard. I've never actually been through it."

"Well let's get going than, the faster we move the sooner we'll catch them." Brittney said, walking past the cottage. She'd lost her friends once, she wasn't about to lose them again, not when she was so close. She'd let them slip away too many times already anyways on her journey, they just didn't know it.

**Midnight**

Marley snapped upright, immediately searching to make sure that Quinn's body had yet to vanish from sight entirely.

It had not...but she was fainter than ever before. Marley approached and moved to brush her hair out of her face worriedly, but her hand slipped right through her skin.

"Oh no..." Marley mumbled.

She was further gone than she'd thought. At the rate that she was deteriorating, she would be dead by nightfall!

"Sam!" She yelled.

* * *

"Sam, Finn, will you two go find some firewood?" Rachel asked. "Blaine, take Kitty and go look for some rocks to put around it so it doesn't spread." She nodded to them both and the four of them set off into the wilderness, leaving her behind with Santana.

She sat down and began routing through her bag. They'd managed to stock up before they left Fayhaven after the mist had dispersed, but they'd been expecting more preparation time. With Kitty joining them, they were rationing even more than usual, and she began to separate dried fruit into six different piles.

When she'd finished, she handed one, with a handful of nuts, to Santana who was sitting down on the opposite side of where the fire would go, against a tree.

"So have you done anything yet?" Santana asked.

"What?"

"Have you made a move on Sam?" She leaned forwards, resting her hands on her knees.

"Let it go!" Rachel cried, standing up and walking away.

"He's a great guy!" Santana yelled, practically leaping after her and grabbing her wrist to stop her. "He showed me that I belong here...in this world...in this group. He deserves somebody to love! Quinn would've wanted it!"

Rachel wrenched her wrist free.

"Quinn is dead, Santana." Rachel whispered. "Love is useless on a journey like this, it'll just get in the way! I can't get involved with that! I can't let it cloud my vision!"

Santana frowned and put her hands on her hips, staring at Rachel seriously.

"It already has." She said.

Rachel scowled and turned away again but Santana grabbed her arm and turned her around again, ignoring Rachel's threatening groan.

"Give love a chance." She said. "If I could, I would!"

"What about Finn? Blaine? They're both cute, you want love so much, _you _go find it! Heck, you can have Sam if you want him to have somebody that much! I'm not getting mixed up in that."

Santana sighed.

"It's not that easy. They're great, but I don't love them. You love Sam! Why is that so hard for you to accept?"

"Because love would only complicate things. If I have to make a choice between Sam and Blaine, I need to know that I'll stick by my brother's side! We've been together for seventeen years. Sam's a great guy, but I can't risk him throwing a wrench into that. I need to know that I'll be there for Blaine, and that he'll be there for me."

Santana frowned, the moonlight glistening off of her, almost silvery in the night.

"You're afraid that if you let Sam in, you'll lose Blaine?" She asked.

Rachel timidly nodded.

"Do you know how stupid that is? Your brother supports you! He'd have to be blind to miss the chemistry between Sam and you! If he hasn't said anything about it yet, he's not going to!"

Rachel scowled at Santana's condescending tone and turned to storm off into the forest, intent on looking for berries.

"I said no! Stop pressing the issue!" She yelled back.

* * *

"So what are you going to do when you see your brother again?" Blaine asked casually, picking up another sharp looking rock from the ground outside of a large cave and slipping it in his bag.

Kitty looked up and tossed him another rock to add to the collection.

She shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm just hoping this whole trip isn't a disappointment." She said.

Blaine frowned, standing up straight.

"It won't be! I'm sure!"

"You know there's a good chance that he's dead right?" Kitty stood up, looking at him. She was being realistic, and that was all there was to it. She wanted nothing more than to believe that he was alive...but he'd been living in the wilderness for three years...he'd had to venture through a forest full of witches and possessed trees. It was likely that he was dead.

"Then at least you'll know." Blaine frowned. "I lost somebody I loved..." He offered.

"I'm sorry." Kitty said honestly.

"Don't be..." He sighed. "She's gone now, and she's not coming back. My sister told me that we had to keep going...I won't ever forget her, but...I have to move on. It's just hard."

"I bet." Kitty sighed. "I'm sure it'll get better. With time, and with friends."

"It already has!" He smiled. "I just need to stop thinking about her so much." He sighed and shook his head. "It hurts too much to think of all that we could've been! I had this fantasy where we'd get married, and Rachel and Sam and the others would all be there! Her mother too, and this friend I had back where I used to live, a deer named Flower. She'd be the flower-girl, and she'd parade a whole bouquet of Cupid's Rose up the path..." He blinked back tears and dropped the rock he'd been holding.

Kitty silently approached him and hugged him.

"It'll get better. We're here for you!"

"And we're here for you too! We will find out what happened to your brother. I promise!" Blaine sniffed and held her tightly. He may have lost his love, but at least he had his friends.

* * *

Sam had an armful of firewood and Finn was gleefully piling more and more onto him in an attempt to overburden him.

"Finn!" Sam laughed. "Stop! I'm done!"

"Muahahahah!" Finn cackled and loaded another branch on top of him. "Never!"

Sam rolled his eyes. It was good to know that Finn had not lost his odd sense of humour entirely. It just wasn't a mask anymore. Finn allowed himself to feel sincerely, and sometimes, when that feeling was happy, the old Finn would come out. Sam loved it.

_"Sam!" _

Marley's voice startled him and was so loud in his head that he jerked backwards and pressed both hands to his skull, dropping the wood to the ground.

"Sam?" Finn asked, approaching him, concerned.

"What?" Sam hissed at Marley, but Finn took it as being directed at him.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked.

_"It's Quinn!" _

"Quinn?" He asked, looking up.

_"She's dying!" _Marley said in a panic.

"Quinn's dead, Marley." Sam whispered harshly. "You should know that."

Finn looked at him and pursed his lips. He decided to collect the sticks that he'd dropped, not wanting to get involved. It was unsavory of Marley to bring up Sam's dead best friend. He was surprised at her.

_"Not yet!" _Marley said urgently. _"But she's running out of time!"_

"What are you talking about? I _saw _her die!"

_"She didn't die! She just stopped being totally alive..."_

"That makes no sense!"

_"Listen! The Cupid's Rose, it kept her alive! She's hanging in the balance between the world of the living and the world of dead, but she's fading away!" _

"Wh-what?" Sam asked doubtfully.

_"Have I steered you wrong yet?" _Marley said impatiently_. "You have to trust me!" _She yelled in his head._ "Do you trust me?" _

"...Fine." Sam said, half-afraid to truly believe. But...if it was true...if somehow, Quinn had survived the Piper's magic...He had to believe! He had to! "I believe you!"

_"Okay!" _Marley said. _"In order for Quinn to be saved, the person who loves her most has to believe that their love is stronger than death! So believe Sam! She's your best friend! Believe! But hurry, we only have until midnight!" _

So Sam closed his eyes, and he believed.

He focused all of his energy on the image of his best friend, laying in the barren desert wasteland. He breathed as deeply as he could and he imagined reaching down and grabbing her hand. In his head, her eyes opened.

It was true. She was one of his best friends. If he could save her...he would.

When he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.

"Marley?" He whispered. "Marley!"

_"I don't know!" _She yelled. _"That should've worked!" _

"You said the person who loves her most had to believe! I believed and she's not here!" Finn looked up from the wood he was gathering.

_"I didn't lie!" _Marley defended herself. _"I'm looking right at her, but nothing has changed! She's dying, maybe you didn't believe hard enough!"_

"I believed." He said.

"Hey..." Finn stood up, arm full of wood. "I was eavesdropping and...if love is going to bring Quinn back...maybe...what if it isn't supposed to be yours?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, just as Marley asked the same question in Finn's head.

"Maybe you're not the one who loves her the most."

"She's one of my best friends."

"Well...when she was dying...she told Blaine that she loved _him_. Right?" Finn paused. "He said he loved her back."

Sam froze.

That was right! Quinn and Blaine had been in love! What if he still loved her? She'd been his first friend, his first love, his _only_ love! Of course!

Wordlessly Sam turned and shot off into the forest, running more urgently than he'd ever run before.

Finn bit his lip and turned to move back towards the campsite. Halfway there he ran into a furious Rachel.

"You should probably come back with me." He said. "I have a feeling things are about to get crazy..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Sam?"

"Hopefully? Saving a life..."

* * *

_"I can't reach his mind! It's too cluttered! You've got to reach him!" _Marley said in Sam's head as he sprinted through the trees. _"Hurry! We're losing her! You've got ten minutes, max!" _

"Fuck!" Sam swore. "Blaine!" He screamed.

He spotted his friend talking with Kitty through the trees.

Blaine looked up as Sam raced up to him with sweat glinting in the moonlight and crazy, frantic eyes.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked, stepping forwards anxiously. "Where's Finn?"

"Finn's fine!" Sam said. "It's Quinn! She's alive! All you have to do is love her, and believe that your love is stronger than death! Come on, hurry, we only have ten minutes!"

Blaine blinked at him.

Slowly, he took off his satchel and handed it to Kitty.

"You should go back to camp." He told her softly, before turning and looking at Sam with the coldest, most wounded eyes Sam had ever seen on the younger boy.

His intensity made Sam take a step back.

"What?"

"How fucking dare you?" Blaine snapped. "Do you _know _how hard it's been for me? Letting her go? I loved her Sam! She was my _first_ love! Maybe you can be an asshole and lead me on like this, because you've had a thousand girlfriends in your comfortable little town, but I only had one and she is_ dead!_"

Blaine sniffed and took a deep calming breath, trying to refrain from punching the taller boy in the face.

"Do you know how many times I've helped you? You were sad, and I helped you because I thought you needed somebody!" Blaine said. "After all of that, you think you can just throw some bullshit lie like that at me? Why would you do that Sam? Why? I help you and you _hurt _me in return." His voice broke and he turned away, looking up at the moon. Anywhere but at Sam.

"I...what?" Sam furrowed his eyebrows, shocked at Blaine's speech. "I'm not lying!"

"People _die _Sam. You know that! You love your father, don't you? But that's not going to bring him back." Blaine snapped and turned to storm off through the trees.

Sam raced after him, shocked and enraged that he would bring up such a sensitive topic.

"Quinn's my best friend! Why would I lie about something like this?" He yelled, trying to catch up to Blaine.

"She is not." Blaine snapped. "Making friends is easy for you. I have no idea why you're doing this to me, but drop it. It's not fair."

"Hold up...Do you hear voices?" Mercedes stopped short and Brittney and Tina craned their necks, listening.

"Yeah...that's...that's Sam!" Brittney gasped, taking off at a sprint. Tina and Mercedes broke into a run after him. They were close, they could feel it!

Blaine stepped out into the campsite and Finn, Santana, Rachel and Kitty looked up at him as Sam stormed out after him and whipped him around.

"I thought you loved her!" Sam spat.

So Blaine punched him.

Sam gasped and rubbed his jaw. The other four stood and stared wide-eyed at the two boys. When Blaine spoke again, his voice was shaky and his eyes were teary.

"I _do_ love her." He whispered. "How _dare_ you suggest otherwise?"

"Prove it than!" Sam yelled. "If you really loved her, you'd allow yourself to believe in what love can do!"

"I've been hurt by love too much already Sam." Blaine said, tears leaking down his face.

Rachel felt her heart break for her brother.

"My parents hated me. Everybody in that castle wanted me dead, and the one person who didn't was murdered. If I love my Nurse will she come back to life too?"

"It's not the same! Your love...the Cupid's Rose, its keeping her alive! But we're running out of time!"

_"Two minutes!" _Marley said in Sam's head.

"If you truly loved somebody, you would go through hell to get them back!"

"Sam...everybody who has ever loved me has been lost. Rachel is the only exception. If I believe you and I close my eyes and wish for her to be back here with us...if she doesn't come back, _I_ will die. I know it. I can't handle that!"

"All you have to do is believe!" Sam said, stepping forwards and putting both hands on Blaine's shoulders. "You can do it, I know you can!"

"How do you know?" Blaine cried, allowing his tears to flow freely.

"Because you've got love in your heart!" Sam said. "I know that, because you're a fighter, and you would die for the people you love!"

Blaine didn't say anything, but sniffed and bit his lip.

"I would trust you with my life, Blaine. All I'm asking is for you to believe."

Blaine looked to the side, at Rachel, who nodded slowly, swallowing nervously.

"Please." Sam whispered.

_"One minute!" _Marley said.

Blaine closed his eyes.

* * *

_Blaine looked out at the wedding reception, smiling as Flower paraded down the aisle, a bouquet of Cupid's Rose in her mouth and his feathered cap still atop her head. _

_ The deer passed by Sam and Rachel who were standing on the altar; the best man and maid of honour respectively. Blaine could see Quinn's mother crying in the front row. _

_ He took the bouquet from the deer and slipped a ring off of the stem of one of the flowers, turning to face the beautiful blonde-haired girl just before him. _

_ "Quinn..." He smiled at her and she smiled shyly back. "I love you...I'll never leave you again." He smiled._

_ "You don't have to." She smiled. _

_ "I believe in you..." He said. "Come back to me?" _

_ She smiled wider than ever and looked at him intensely. Slowly, she nodded._

* * *

Brittney stepped into the campsite just as a bright green light lit it up. She, Tina and Mercedes covered their eyes as the boy in the center started to shine, the light twirling around him and pooling directly in front of him, causing his hair to blow in the energy field.

Sam shielded his eyes, taking a half-step back as midnight arrived. Rachel, Santana, Kitty and Finn watched in awe as the circle of energy expanded, and a light blue beam of energy joined the green.

Slowly, the light began to form a figure on the ground in front of Blaine. They grew and shaped themselves until they'd become a short, unmistakably blonde haired shape.

Blaine opened his eyes as the green energy wrapped around his body. The light blue split away and began to orbit around the glowing figure. Slowly the light began to break away, pulling Blaine closer to it.

He reached out a shocked hand as features and clothing began to shape upon the figure. Within minutes, Quinn was standing before him, smiling up at him and crying. She closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his and the blue and green energy danced around them ecstatically.

Sam burst into ecstatic laughter.

"It worked!" He yelled. "It worked! You did it! We did it!"

"Quinn?" Rachel gasped. "Quinn!"

The light faded away from both of them, and Quinn looked around, staring at her arms and legs as if they were new.

"You saved me..." Quinn whispered, looking up at Blaine and holding him tightly.

"It worked..." Blaine gasped, pulling her close and burying his face in her neck.

"Quinn!" Sam screamed ecstatically, tackling them both and wrapping them up in a hug, all animosity lost in the ecstasy of the situation. Rachel couldn't contain herself, and soon she and Santana had joined the group hug.

Quinn couldn't believe it! She'd been brought back from the brink of death! She remembered dying, and then a magical in-between world. She'd seen everything that had happened, she had watched her friends as they travelled. Just as her vision began to get fuzzy however, a green light had broken into the world and pulled her out.

She opened her eyes, wanting nothing more than to stay in that hug forever. Her gaze caught a movement out of the corner of her eyes and she gasped.

"Brittney?"

* * *

**_Whoa! This chapter was shorter than the others, but the next chapter is the longest one yet, by far. Quinn is alive, and the group has definitely expanded! In the next Chapter, Sam, Rachel, Finn, Blaine, Quinn, Santana, Brittney, Mercedes, Tina and Kitty make their way towards Starryville to track down Kitty's brother, Puck, and along the way they learn just what happened with Brittney and Mercedes. Both Santana and Sam find themselves suddenly coming down with the wonderful disease known as love, and neither know what to do about it, while Finn becomes concerned for Kitty and whatever has been troubling her. When Blaine bares his heart to Sam, Sam risks crushing the younger boys spirit and ruining one third of his journey, unless he can redeem himself, and when Brittney learns of her father's death, she is at risk of losing her mind as well. Another character waits for the team in Starryville, and a face from Mercedes' past attempts to reel her back into his web. _**

**_Review! _**

**_Also, question, I didn't intend to put Mike Chang in this story, but do you think I should? It might mean longer waits between updates while I figure out where to stick him, but if you feel strongly about it, I will._**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Well, here you are! Another chapter! This was going to be in three parts like I usually make them, but these two alone made it over seventeen thousand words so...I'm just gonna make it two parts. Brittney's big flashback takes up most of it.**_

**Homeless**

"Because I knew you…"_ Brittney sang. Quinn and Sam both nodded and finished the song with her. _"I have been changed…for good…" _They held the last note much longer than it was supposed to be held, all three trying to put off their goodbye, but as it faded, Brittney pulled away from them and turned, leaving them with one final smile._

_ She frowned as she limped back into town. She wasn't stupid… she was painfully aware of the possibility that she would never see either of them again. She didn't really know what to do with herself now...she didn't have any friends, she didn't have any family...more than ever, she truly felt homeless. _

_ Sighing to herself she decided that she'd better break the news to Quinn's mother._

_ Brittney shivered in the nippy afternoon air as she knocked on the door to the Fabray residence. She heard shuffling around in the house and Mrs. Fabray appeared at the door with a frazzled look on her face._

_ "Brittney?" She looked at her, grabbing her hand tightly. "Have you seen Quinn? Is she okay?" _

_ Brittney took a deep breath, swallowing nervously. She took a step forwards and Quinn's mother noticed her limp. Judy grabbed her arm and drew her inside, closing the door behind her. _

_ "What happened to you?" She asked, sitting the pale faced girl down in a chair. "Where is Quinn?" _

_ "She left." Brittney said. "We were all just sitting on Sam's bed after we escaped the soldiers, when they set the inn on fire and attacked us! It was like the story books, only it wasn't a happy ending, because I lost my friends…The Blacksmith got them out, but I rolled my ankle and I couldn't climb the gate with them." She frowned, blinking back tears._

_ Quinn's mother grabbed some gauze and pulled off her black leather shoe, dropping it to the ground. She was silent as she fixed Brittney up. _

_ "She's a fugitive..." Quinn's mother whimpered. _

_ Brittney nodded, testing her foot. It hurt a little bit, but she could walk on it. She didn't trust it on the gate, but if she gave it a couple days or so, she was certain that it would be good as new. Maybe she could catch up with the others!_

_ "Quinn's brave." Brittney reassured her. "She'll be fine. Sam's with her anyways, and the Blacksmith. They're like, super strong."_

_ "She is strong...but she's never been out of Ostvale before...she's such a sweet girl...how can she survive as a fugitive?" Mrs. Fabray sat back on her heels, tears welling up in her eyes._

_ "She'll be fine!" Brittney assured her. "She's a hero!" _

_ Brittney stood up, testing her feet and taking a shaky step towards the door. _

_ "Where are you going?" Quinn's mother stood, supporting her and helping him to manoeuver. _

_ "Quinn always went to get air when she was stressed…I think I need some air." Brittney frowned. _

_ She opened the door and gasped as she and Quinn's mother found themselves face to face with Savannah, Coal, and a very burnt and furious Riker. _

_ "We'll be taking her." Coal said simply, reaching out and grabbing Brittney by the collar of her shirt, yanking her out the door. _

_ Brittney grabbed at Coal's hands, trying to free herself, but Riker drew his sword and pressed it against her back. Quinn's mother gasped and raised her hands. _

_ "Let her go! She did nothing wrong!" She said._

_ "She helped two fugitives to escape Imperial custody. That's punishable by death, I'm sure." Coal said. _

_ "Oh let's hope." Savannah snickered. "_Somebody_ needs to be fed to the dragons!" _

_ Brittney held her chin stubbornly high, no longer fighting, but refusing to show cowardice. If her father had taught her anything, it was not to show weakness._

_ "You'll never catch them." Brittney said. _

_ "We shall see." Coal yanked her forwards. "We'll be taking you to the King now, for execution. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll see your friends very soon." _

_ They began to march off towards the gates of town, Brittney limping as quickly as she could so as to avoid being gauged by Riker's sword. She looked over her shoulder at where Quinn's mother was standing in the middle of the street, watching them go._

_ "Don't worry! This story's barely begun!" Brittney yelled. _

_ "Your story's about to end you stupid girl, now shut up and walk faster." Coal said coldly. _

_ "I'm not stupid..." Brittney said sadly. "Good always wins. You picked the wrong side."_

_ "Really? Because we seem to hold all the cards right now, and if you want to keep your innards inside, I suggest you shut up and walk." Coal smiled coolly and marched on ahead. Savannah snickered and followed him and Riker gleefully stabbed Brittney in the back to prod her onwards. _

_ She sighed and dropped her head. _

_ For all her brave talk...she was terrified._

* * *

_Brittney looked dejectedly at the ground, refusing to look up as the bratty teenager stormed past her on a quest for some animal to torture to death._

_ Ree, was her name, and she was Coal's niece or something. She'd joined them on the second day of their journey, sent from the King so that she could help in the hunt, according to her. Brittney had heard Riker complaining that he'd only sent her because she was annoying as fuck. _

_ "You look sad puppy girl." Savannah said, looking down at her gleefully. "Don't worry, we'll reunite you with your friends soon enough! We'll put all your graves in a row!" _

_ Brittney glared at her._

_ "Oh, you're right. You won't have graves! You'll still all decompose in the same dragon's stomach though! That's something! Bonding!" She clapped her hands together and skipped away._

_ Brittney had decided that Savannah was certifiably insane. _

_ She'd been observing the group for a while now. They'd tied her hands together behind her back, and tied her to a tree each time they stopped to rest, so she refused to talk to them or treat them like travelling companions. _

_ Coal was the clear leader. He had a cool, calculated, shallow attitude. He was constantly adjusting his hair and making sure that his face was clean and pristine. He didn't look like he'd been travelling like the rest of them did. Savannah was his younger sister. The only one who wasn't a part of the family was the obvious second-in-command; Riker._

_He was an angry, bitter, hateful person. He was constantly glaring at Coal when his back was turned, and Brittney had a hunch that Riker wanted to be the leader of their evil band. Of all of them, Riker paid the most attention to Brittney, kicking her whenever he past and taunting her at every opportunity. _

_Savannah was crazy and it was clear that that was the main reason that she was included at all. Her insanity made her bloodthirsty. She was creepily happy at all times, especially when talk of murder came up. She was practically the definition of a sociopath. _

_ Then there was Ree who was in a category all her own. _

_ "Uncle!" She screamed, running back into the clearing._

_ "What?" He looked up, annoyed._

_ "I heard somebody by the river!" _

_ Brittney felt her heart stop. _

_ "What are we waiting for?" Riker drew his sword and turned towards the forest._

_ "No. You stay here, watch her." Coal glared at Brittney. "I'll investigate. Lead the way Ree." _

_ The two of them disappeared into the underbrush and Riker stood there, shaking furiously. _

_ "Is he kidding?" Riker asked, turning to face Savannah. "Does he really think he can restrain all three of them by himself?" _

_ "Well...he's got Ree with him." Savannah said nonplussed. _

_ "Really? It's not like she'll be of any help."_

_ Savannah shrugged and began to file her nails with a rock and Riker stormed past Brittney, kicking her roughly in the gut. _

_ Brittney gasped and doubled over as Savannah glanced up with an approving glimmer in her eyes. _

_ "What…" Brittney growled. "…is your problem?" _

_ Savannah gasped, looking at the situation with apparent intrigue. Riker tensed and turned slowly around. _

_ "What did you say?" He asked. _

_ "I asked what your problem was! I didn't do anything to you!"_

_ "You lied to me. Sent me on a wild goose chase!" Riker knelt down and drew his sword._

_ "Is that your solution to everything?" Brittney asked. "Bring out your sword?" _

_ Riker scowled and narrowed his eyes and his face began to get red. He'd opened his mouth to retort when Coal and Ree stormed back into the clearing empty handed. _

_ "Nothing." Coal said. "False alarm." _

_ "Of, fucking, course." Riker stood and stormed away._

_ Brittney let out a deep sigh of relief and leaned back against the tree she was tied to. Her friends were still safe, for one more day at least._

* * *

_ Two days later Brittney found herself collapsing in a dishevelled heap on the ground. Ree was polishing an Imperial sword nearby and she pointed it at her tauntingly. _

_ "Scared peasant?" She asked. _

_ "I'm tired!" She said. _

_ She scoffed, looking around at the others. _

_ "Watch him." Coal told Riker. "Ree, you're with me, we're scouting the area." _

_ Riker glared at him. _

_ "Seriously?" He asked._

_ Coal glared back._

_ "Are you challenging me, Riker?"_

_ "Yeah!" Riker snapped. "We'll cover more ground if we all go! The girl is tied to a tree, she's not going anywhere!" _

_ "I'm in charge, what I say goes!" Coal yelled._

_ "Well I'm ignoring you." Riker said, grabbing Savannah's arm and pulling her off into the woods._

_ "Riker!" Coal yelled. "I'll skin you alive you pathetic-"_

_ "He's already gone, calm down; you're like, yelling in my ear." Ree moaned from where she sat beside Brittney. _

_ "I'm not allowing him to overrule me." Coal snarled, storming off the other way. "Watch the girl!" _

_ "Hey!" Ree yelled, standing up. "I'm not staying here with her! She's a peasant! A stupid peasant!" She glared after him._

_ "You're no better than I am." Brittney scowled._

_ "Excuse me?" Ree turned, glaring at her. "I'm a thousand times better than you! This Kingdom is my oyster! I can have anything I want. You've got nothing." She snarled. "I've got better things to do than babysit a nobody."_

_ She stood up and ran off after her Uncle, leaving Brittney fuming on the ground._

_ "I've got nothing..." She sighed. It was true, she didn't have anything to her name... she was alone..._

_ Brittney paused, looking around. She'd been left alone; completely and utterly alone for the first time since they'd forced her from her home. _

_ "I've got nothing..." She repeated suddenly. _

_ The moonlight glinted off the sword beside her and she grinned. _

_ "So I don't have anything to lose!" _

_ Looking around to make sure that nobody was nearby, she scooted herself closer to it and began to rub the rope against the blade. _

_ The going was slow, and she cut herself three times, but eventually she felt the ropes fall away and jumped to her feet, resisting the urge to shout triumphantly. She hastily rubbed at her wrists, which had been rubbed raw, and then leapt away from the campsite. _

_ She paused at the outskirts of the clearing and turned back, looking at the sword. _

_ She darted back towards it and grabbed it, yanking it out of the ground and sprinting away. She'd barely made it ten feet before she heard Riker's outraged yell behind her. _

_ Brittney swore and doubled her pace, ducking and weaving through the trees as quickly as she could. She burst out of the tree line and found herself at the bottom of a large hill with a tree at the top. _

_ She looked behind her in a panic and then turned to look up at the tree. She almost tripped over her own feet in shock as she spotted Sam standing atop the hill looking back at her. _

_ "Sam!" Brittney yelled, but Sam turned away and sprinted off down the other side._

_ Brittney ran up the slope, breath hot and ragged in her throat, her fight or flight instincts going wild. _

_ Brittney reached the top and looked around, yelling for her friend, but she'd lost him. _

_ Again..._

_ Brittney turned, spotted Savannah and Riker breaking through the tree line and cursed, sprinting down the other side of the hill and through the trees. She felt foliage whipping against her face and cringed with each minor scrape, but she didn't stop running._

_ She didn't stop running until she could hear water trickling nearby. She crept towards it and came out on the bank, looking from left to right. Upstream, or downstream? She had no idea. _

_ So she took a blind guess, running upstream, but keeping to the tree line as much as she could. _

_ She heard people breaking out behind her and froze, not wanting to bring any attention to her whereabouts. _

_ "Upstream or downstream?" Riker asked gruffly._

_ "How would I know?" Savannah snapped. "I can't believe she got away." _

_ "It's your brother's fault." _

_ "It's just as much ours for leaving."_

_ "I blame Ree. She left the sword there. Those ropes were cut."_

_ "We're losing time. Come on, this way." _

_ Brittney tensed behind the tree she was partially concealed by, but thankfully, she heard their footfalls fading away into the distance. _

_ She pushed off from the tree and ran the other way. She'd lost precious time waiting for Savannah and Riker to leave, and now Sam could've been anywhere. _

_ She ran until she spotted a bridge in the distance. She grinned in spite of herself and ran towards it. As she rounded a bend she saw Quinn and Sam vanishing with a tall, lanky boy in a yellow jacket. _

_ Brittney slowed to a stop and sighed, falling to her knees. _

_ She'd lost them. _

_ She crawled into the forest and let her head rest against the trees. She was too tired to continue running. If Quinn and Sam had teleported away, than they could be anywhere in the Kingdom. Brittney didn't know how teleportation worked; they could be in another Kingdom entirely for all she knew!_

_ Before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep. She was so exhausted from her captivity, and her body so sore, that it was all she could do to curl up into a ball so it would be harder to spot her if her pursuers walked past._

* * *

_ Brittney's dream was restless as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Most of it was taken up by memories of her and her friends milling about Ostvale, happy, harmless youths. But she distinctly remembered odd snippets of conversation, Quinn talking, or Sam, or Bruce, and then some less familiar voices. She tiredly identified her captors speaking somewhere, but the only thing that she truly remembered when she awoke the next morning, was the word Violetedge. _

_ She'd read books about their Kingdom, they'd had to in school. They had to color maps once, showing where everything was, and she vaguely understood that Violetedge was in the Northwestern part of the Kingdom, almost directly North from Ostvale and Falcon Bridge. Quinn has helped her pick out her colors. _

_ With the sun shining high in the sky, she stretched and made her way forwards and across the bridge. She didn't know what the future held for her, but she hoped that she had not seen the last of her friends. She could do without seeing Coal, Riker, Savannah or Ree, however, she promptly decided._

_ As Brittney walked, she gradually began to learn what was and what wasn't edible. She often had little to eat, but apple trees were plentiful in their region, and Brittney knew how to fish, so she wasn't in too dire a circumstance. Nonetheless, she made sure not to overexert herself. Sam had done that once, and spent a week recovering in the inn. Quinn helped Brittney make him some feel-better soup._

_ On the road, Brittney did, however, gain some competency in swordsmanship. As it was the only amenity she had, Brittney spent a great deal of her time swinging her sword and practicing using it how she'd read they were to be used. It was awkward at first, but eventually she deemed herself a professional. Probably the best in the world._

_ The worst part of the journey was the solitude. Brittney had nobody to talk to and it was driving her crazy! Sometimes she would sing to herself, if only to put off the silence, but even that did little to slow her boredom. _

_ She wasn't sure how many days had passed until she spotted the gates of Violetedge, but she broke into a sprint when she finally did, bypassing the crystals and crying out excitably at the people milling about the street. _

_ She cheerfully waved and said hello to as many people as she could, ignoring their harsh looks as she sauntered down the street. The sun was just starting to set when she caught sight of the most delicious looking fruit stall. _

_ Brittney approached, practically drooling as she did, reaching out timidly for a peach that rested at the top of the pile. She picked it up and excitably sank her teeth into it. _

_ "Umm...hello!" The cheerful biracial girl behind the counter laughed. _

_ "...Hello..." Brittney said around a mouthful of peach. _

_ "You gonna pay for that?" She asked, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows, clearly amused. _

_ "Umm..." Brittney began rifling through her pockets, but she had nothing. With no job and no home, Quinn's mother had been covering all of Brittney's expenses. "I can pay in love and respect..." That was what Sam always said when he was in trouble with money. _

_ "Here. You look like you haven't had a good meal in weeks, the peach is on me." The girl said. "Does anybody eat well in this Kingdom outside of Violetedge?" She laughed. _

_ "Thanks!" Brittney beamed at her. "But, I can work it off or something. I'm a good dancer! I can sell fruit through interpretive dance in the street." Brittney said seriously, taking another bite of the fruit._

_ "Its fine, I got a huge tip today! Just sharin' the wealth!" She smiled at her. "But...girl please, you're looking all sorts of dishevelled." She laughed. _

_ Brittney looked down at her torn and fraying clothing. It wasn't meant for adventuring._

_ "Since nobody seems to _dress_ well outside of Violetedge either; here, you can have the rest of my tip money. I'm supposed to use it for an outing tonight, but I _do_ have my own money, and they don't have to know that." _

_ Brittney shook her head._

_ "Thanks but I can't just take your money." Brittney frowned. _

_ "Yeah you can." The girl said, slipping it into her pocket. "See! There's a boutique just around the corner, the guy there should help you find something more fitting. Good luck!" She picked up her tray of fruit, closed up shop and walked away. _

_ Brittney frowned, looking after her for a while, but eventually shrugged and decided that if she was willing to hand over money like that, than Brittney might as well do as she said._

_ She walked into the boutique and, with the help of some nice old guy who ran the shop, he managed to get some awesome gear, consisting of a pair of black tights, dark blue leather shoes, a dark blue tunic under a black leather vest, and a black cape cause Brittney thought it was super heroic. She also purchased a scabbard to sheath her stolen weapon in._

_ By the time she was finished and paid for, night had fallen on the town. _

_ Because she had no idea what she was looking for, or any real purpose that related to the town of Violetedge, she decided to go and check out the nightlife. Hopefully there was a bar or an inn where she could spend the night. _

_ Brittney wandered for quite some time before she happened upon a large, energetic building filled with people on the north side of the city. She stepped inside, just as the biracial fruit vendor stepped up to sing. _

_ She smiled, leaning against the doorway and nodding to the beat. She was really good, Brittney was impressed! The song was really energetic and she rocked it, but...the more she watched her, the more Brittney felt like this girl had a deeper connection to the song. _

_ Then Sam and Quinn appeared out of, like, nowhere, and Brittney was floored. _

_ She watched the three of them perform in a mind blown state. What were the chances? She must've overheard something while she was asleep, and followed her instincts! Now they were together again. _

_ As happy as she was to see them again, however, she decided to let them have their moment in the spotlight, and then make their day when they were taking their bows. _

_ The performance was crazy good, probably the best in the world, in Brittney's opinion, though she was a little bit biased. When they took their final bow, she couldn't help but shake her head at how talented her friends were, applauding them as loudly as she could. _

_ Brittney froze. _

_ Out the window of the bar, she could see them. The soldiers had reached Violetedge, and they were right outside. _

_ She had to warn her friends! _

_ But they weren't natives here either! They wouldn't know what to do with themselves! _

_ Brittney made a split second decision, diving across the bar, shoving people out of her way in her mad dash to the biracial fruit vendor. _

_ "Hey!" She yelled as she grabbed her, spinning her around._

_ "Oh, umm, hello!" She smiled warmly at her. "You look great now!" She laughed. "...Nice cape."_

_ "Thanks I know, but you have to get Sam and Quinn out of here!" Brittney insisted._

_ She raised an eyebrow._

_ "Wait, why?" She asked._

_ "Just do it! Hurry!" She shoved her off in the direction of the bar and the girl moved instinctively, screaming just as the doors burst open and Riker stormed in, spearheading at least a dozen soldiers. _

_ "We're looking for fugitives. We know they're here. Where the hell are they?" Riker snarled at a balding middle-aged man. The man looked around frantically._

_ Brittney flattened herself against the wall and began to creep closer to the door._

_ "I...I don't know!" The man stammered. _

_ Riker looked away, almost spotting Brittney, who dove to the ground just in time. _

_ When Brittney looked up again, the man had been impaled. _

_ "I won't ask again." Riker snarled, pulling the sword out. _

_ The man fell to the ground with a thump and Brittney felt her stomach churn. _

_ She watched, terrified as Riker approached a large motherly looking woman, who quivered in fear. _

_ Brittney sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She knew she couldn't just sit and watch it happen. _

_ So she stood up. _

_ And then she stood on a chair._

_ And then she stood on a table._

_ "Your hair reminds me of chicken pox and ugly rashes…" She smiled down at Riker. _

_ "Get her!" Riker yelled, and the soldiers all rushed forwards at once, almost bottlenecking in the doorway. _

_ Brittney widened her eyes as Riker began to shove people out of the way, but he wasn't stabbing anybody. He had eyes only for Brittney. People were screaming and sprinting out the doors, mass panic was occurring, and Brittney could only hope that the singer had gotten Sam and Quinn out. _

_ Brittney swallowed nervously as a soldier approached her and swung her sword. Brittney jumped and landed on the sword, and then kicked the soldier in the face, sending him staggering backwards into his teammates. _

_ Brittney stepped on the hilt of the abandoned sword and caught it out of the air, reaching down and parrying another blow by a second soldier. Brittney dislodged him and then stabbed at him. The soldier jumped backwards and Brittney spun around and biffed the sword through the air._

_ Riker managed to duck the sword, but it was a clumsy evasion and he ended up falling on the ground. _

_ Brittney shifted her weight on the table so that it tipped over and she slid down the slope, jumping off of it at the last second and planting one foot on another soldier's shoulder. She pushed off and curled into a ball as she catapulted herself through the window._

_ Shielding her face and neck from the glass with her arms, Brittney shoulder-rolled back to her feet, and took off down the road in an attempt to escape. She saw a carriage nearby and ran towards it, looking over her shoulder just as Riker exited the bar. _

_ Brittney braced herself and dove at the ground, pencil-rolling under the carriage and disappearing from sight. _

_ "You two!" Riker yelled, pointing at two soldiers. "Circle around the back of the bar! There's a fugitive on the loose here!" _

_ The two soldiers nodded and ran off and Riker looked around furiously. _

_ Brittney watched as Savannah and Coal approached the red-haired villain. He saw them talking and then Savannah walked off to the other side of the bar. Coal, on the other hand, began walking directly towards Brittney. _

_ Brittney swore silently and slowly crept around the carriage, ducking behind the horses as Coal walked right past her hiding place. Brittney kept her eyes trained on Coal as she backed onto the other side. _

_ "Gotcha!" Riker yelled, clamping a hand on her shoulder._

_ Brittney whipped around and slugged him in the face, sprinting away as quickly as she could. Which was really fast. Probably the fastest in the world._

_ She ran towards the side of the bar that the two soldiers had vanished around, intent on ducking around the building next to it. She could hear Riker gaining on her, but Brittney managed to cut a sharp right and vanish around the corner just as she heard somebody cry out. _

_ Brittney frowned and looked up at several crates stacked next to the building. She stepped onto them, climbing them like a mountain. When she reached the top she jumped and grabbed the lip of the roof, swinging her legs over and crawling to the edge. She felt like a superhero and decided that the cape was clearly the reason for her superhuman jumping abilities, and was thus, a good investment._

_ The fruit vendor was being held off the ground by Riker, legs flailing and arms pinned against her own body. _

_"Well, you're not quite the fugitive I was looking for, but you'll do! Hello again Mercedes. I haven't seen you since you fled Starryville. You know that's a crime right, for a black person to leave Starryville..." He leaned in close to her ear. "Punishable by death, actually."_

_ Brittney blinked, she hadn't known that. _

_ Come to think of it, she'd never actually seen a black person before, but the girl below her, Mercedes she supposed, looked like she was about to cry, and Brittney felt almost totally responsible. If she hadn't led Riker around the corner when she did, Mercedes might've gotten away._

_"But I'm not going to kill you..." Riker hissed in her ear. He began to move away and Brittney crept along the roof to eavesdrop on their conversation. "No, I think that Coal himself should have that pleasure."_

_"I don't want to see him!" Mercedes said desperately as Riker pulled her towards the cage-caravan that Brittney had used as a hiding place. _

_"I don't care." He laughed. "This cage was for the other fugitives, but you can share." He snapped, shoving her inside. She landed roughly on her knees and turned to glare at him. "Be careful, wouldn't want to rip your pretty little dress." Riker laughed. _

_ Brittney watched as Savannah walked out from behind the bar and approached the other two, bleeding and giggling like a madwoman. Which, Brittney supposed, she was. _

_"When will you get it Mercedes? You can't get away from us." She laughed. Mercedes grabbed the bars and shook them, looking like she was seconds away from breaking down._

_Brittney felt for the girl, honestly. This girl was alone, and since Sam and Quinn weren't in the cage, Brittney could only assume that she'd done what Brittney asked, and now she was paying the price. Mercedes could've escaped if not for Brittney..._

_ "Where are the fugitives?" Savannah asked. "You've got nothing left to live for girl. Why not be a good little prisoner and save us all some time. We'll find them eventually anyways, and when we do, we'll stab them each one extra time for you." She smiled crazily. _

_ Brittney felt her blood boil. She'd never wanted to kill somebody more than she did in that moment in time. _

_ "You're sick Savannah." Mercedes said. "Sick."_

_ Brittney agreed entirely._

_ "You are." Mercedes continued. "All of you. And you know what, I may not have anything left to live for, but those two do so no, I'm not going to tell you where they're going. You'll never find them anyways, they left town as soon as you walked in." She glared at Riker. _

_ Brittney knew that Mercedes was lying, and she knew that Mercedes was protecting her friends just as surely as she knew that Mercedes wasn't going to die that day, not if Brittney had anything to say about it. _

_ She heard Savannah scream in outrage as she crawled back towards the stack of boxes behind the building she was perched upon._

_ She lost sight of them as she clambered down to the ground again, and when she turned the corner again, Riker and Savannah were both walking away, leaving the carriage unguarded. She couldn't believe her luck!_

_ Brittney crept towards the carriage and opened the door. She smiled as she found the coach driver napping inside, his head pulled down, keys held loosely in his lap. _

_ Brittney grabbed them and yanked them free, but it woke the old man, who glared at her in tired confusion._

_ "Sorry!" Brittney whispered innocently, pulling back and punching him in the face._

_ The man was knocked unconscious almost instantly. _

_ Brittney crept towards the cage part and wrapped her cape around her lower face with one hand, trying to blend in with the night like some sort of girl-bat hybrid. A Bat-Girl of sorts._

_ She jammed the key in the lock and slowly undid the latch. _

_ "Who are you?" Mercedes asked as she stood in the doorway. _

_ Brittney let the cape fall away and grinned at her._

_ "Your hero."_

* * *

_"We have to get out of the city!" Mercedes said, leading Brittney into the forest behind the bar. _

_ "We have to find Sam and Quinn!" Brittney protested._

_ "Girl, they _went_ out of the city." She said. _

_ "These woods are like, really big; we'll never find them in here. We should hide in the village."_

_ "They're going to burn _down_ the village." Mercedes said, and that was the end of that conversation._

_ They walked in silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to talk. The woods were alive with the sounds of soldiers hunting for the fugitives, and all four of them; Sam, Quinn, Brittney and Mercedes were hidden throughout it. _

_ "Hah!" A soldier yelled, jumping out from behind a tree and swinging his sword at Mercedes who screamed and ducked._

_ Brittney unsheathed her own sword and stepped in front of her as the man came back around, clashing blades with Brittney. _

_ "I knew if I just waited I'd find somebody! Now I'll kill you and get the glory!" He grinned and raised one foot, kicking Brittney in the stomach and knocking the wind out of her. _

_ Brittney gasped as she doubled over and the man kicked her again, sending her sprawling to the soil, her sword clattering away along the ground. _

_ The man grinned evilly as he approached and raised his sword high to plunge it into Brittney's chest. _

_ Brittney watched as a blade pierced the man above him._

_ As the soldier fell to the forest floor, Mercedes let go of Brittney's sword. Her hands were shaking and she was practically hyperventilating. _

_ "Oh my God, I just killed a man. Oh sweet Jesus. I'm going to jail." _

_ "You were going to jail anyways." Brittney shrugged. _

_ "Girl!" Mercedes cried. "Not helping!"_

_ "Sorry." Brittney said genuinely. She approached her and wrapped an arm around her, leading her away, further into the forest. "You saved my life. He would've killed us both if you hadn't killed him." _

_ Mercedes shrugged. _

_ "I know, but still..."_

_ "Where are we going?" Brittney asked, trying to take her mind off of the attack._

_ "When I first got to Violetedge, I didn't live in town. I was scared that they'd reject me for bein' black, so I made a fort. Here, in the woods!" Mercedes led her through a small clustered grove of some small tree Brittney didn't recognize, and then pointed up. _

_ Halfway up a large oak tree, partially covered by branches and foliage, was a quaint looking tree-house. Brittney grinned and immediately began to climb, Mercedes clambering up after her._

_ They'd barely made it inside when they heard soldiers conversing below about how neither had seen any sign of the fugitives. Brittney and Mercedes both breathed a sigh of relief at this, and then collapsed to the ground._

_ "I am so tired." She sighed. _

_ "Same." _

_ And that was all they had to say to one another before they fell asleep._

* * *

_ Mercedes awoke late the next day, the sun already close to setting yet again. She didn't know it, but Quinn and Blaine had already had their first moment in the woods, and Rachel had patched up Sam's foot to perfection. _

_ The night before had been so draining for both Mercedes and Brittney, that neither had been roused when a soldier ran screaming past their tree with a beehive on his head. The safety that the tree house offered was welcome after they'd both almost lost their lives._

_ "Well..." Mercedes sighed. "I'm a fugitive again."_

_ "There's a lot of that going around." Brittney said. "I think it's the cool new thing."_

_ Mercedes looked up from where she sat on the floor at where Brittney was looking around at the pictures and memories that littered the walls of the fort. Brittney's eyes found a poorly drawn picture of two people holding hands, one dark, one white. _

_ She looked at her curiously. _

_ "Is this Coal?" She asked, pointing at the white hand._

_ Mercedes gasped. _

_ "How did you know about that?" _

_ "I heard Savannah and Riker..." Brittney said. "Did you two share sweet man-lady kisses?" _

_ Mercedes sighed._

_ "I'd rather not talk about it..." She said, and she didn't. She'd spent a long time running from that part of her life, trying and failing to let go of her past. Clearly, she'd failed, because by some stroke of misfortune, her past had caught up. _

_ "Yeah, but, I just like, saved your life." Brittney said. "You kind of owe me."_

_ "Why do you wanna know?" Mercedes said uncomfortably, almost pleading. _

_ "Cause I want to know that you're not gonna turn me in to them." She said. _

_ Mercedes looked hurt, so Brittney softened a bit._

_ "And he obviously hurt you, but you seem like a really nice girl, and you don't deserve that." _

_ Mercedes sighed. _

_ "When I was twelve, six years ago, I was living in Starryville. The King is an asshole, so he rounded up everybody who was suitably 'different'. Blacks, gays, any real strong ethnicities really. He did it a long time ago, and forced us all into this one city. His magic causes it to be night pretty much all the time, because he doesn't think we deserve the sun, or whatever." Mercedes sighed and leaned her head against the wall of the tree house. _

_ "Seriously?" Brittney asked. "That's really mean…" _

_ "Right?" Mercedes exclaimed and then shook her head. "Anyways, he warned us all that we weren't to let any 'good' people into our city, because it would pollute them. He said that anybody caught harboring a 'good' person would be executed."_

_ "Did you listen?"_

_ "No, straight white people came through all the time. We didn't invite them in or anything, but we didn't fight them off if they entered. The King and his soldiers never cared enough to check." Mercedes said. "There was only one white person, however, that actually hung around for any length of time."_

_ "Coal." Brittney guessed._

_ "Yup." Mercedes sighed. "The King wanted us to be able to fight off the white people if they tried to enter, and even though we all ignored that rule, it still meant that a bunch of us were chosen to undergo basic training."_

_ She stood up and walked over to a small rucksack in the corner of the room. _

_ Slowly she withdrew a small jewel-encrusted dagger. _

_ "Coal was the one in charge of training us. I liked him from the moment I saw him, and even when he was an asshole and my roommate would tell me that I shouldn't go for that, I couldn't help it! Maybe that's what love is..." She sighed._

_ "Love shouldn't hurt." Brittney said._

_ "Sometimes it does." Mercedes said. "I loved Coal, and eventually, he must've felt _something_ for me too, because we started to see one another. It was a secret affair, he couldn't risk the Royal Family finding out, and he didn't want me telling anybody either."_

_ She fell silent for a moment._

_ "Eventually Savannah and Riker found out, but instead of rejecting me, they were weirdly nice. Well, Savannah was. Riker just isn't a nice person." She paused. "I know _now_ that they were actually mocking me, and Coal, but I was too blind to see it." _

_ "What happened?" Brittney asked._

_ Mercedes sighed again._

_ "Coal used me when he wanted me, and when he didn't, he was an asshole. He hurt me, and eventually, I realized something...I loved him...but he didn't love me back." She swallowed sadly. "Falling in love is hard." She said eventually. "Walking away from love is even harder." _

_ Brittney looked at her sadly. _

_ "What did you do?" She asked._

_ "I left." She said. "I waited until it was my turn to do guard duty, and I fled the city. I ran until I reached Violetedge. It took almost a month of living off the land, but nobody ever found me. I don't even know if they cared enough to look... Coal gave me this dagger at the beginning of basic training. I always thought it meant so much more than it did..." _

_ Brittney frowned._

_ "Throw it out." She said. _

_ "What?" Mercedes asked. _

_ "Get rid of it. Throw it out that window, and don't bother looking for it ever again." She said. "He didn't love you, so he doesn't deserve to be a part of you."_

_ "Girl, we're both fugitives now. We _will_ have to fight." She laughed._

_ "Then we'll find you another weapon. Throw it out." Brittney said._

_ Mercedes looked down at the dagger and then out the window and nodded slowly. _

_ "Alright." _

_ So she did. _

_ She threw Coal's dagger into the forest, and nobody ever found it again. _

_ She smiled to herself as she turned back to Brittney. She knew she still probably loved Coal. She knew, at the very least, that she felt strongly for him, though whether it was love or hate was anybody's guess. She'd taken the first step when she ran away, now it was looking like she'd have to face her demons, and she was on her way to standing up for herself._

_ She didn't need Coal in her life anymore. _

_ He was like a bittersweet poison, and she was detoxing. It would be hard, but with a friend like Brittney by her side, maybe she could do it._

_ "Why would you do that?" Brittney asked dryly. "We're both fugitives now, we'll have to fight, and you just threw away your only weapon." _

_ Mercedes threw her bag at her head and she laughed, ducking under it._

_ "You're an ass!" Mercedes laughed._

_ "You wanna fight?" She asked, stepping close to her and attempting to make an intimidating face._

_ "Girl, I'm black. You don't even wanna go there." _

_ "You're right I'm sorry." _

_ "That's right. Sit down."_

* * *

_ Mercedes and Brittney did not emerge from her fort until well into the night, when their hunger became too much to bare. They both had experience living off of the land, but Brittney hadn't bothered eating since spotting Violetedge in the distance, and Mercedes's well-fed lifestyle had softened her. _

_ "I don't remember what's edible!" Mercedes frowned that night as they picked through the bushes by moonlight. _

_ "Me neither, all I did was fish and eat apples." Brittney said. _

_ Mercedes scowled and reached forwards, searching through the brush. She parted a large bush and screamed, falling backwards as a deer stared back out at her. _

_ "Holy fuck." She panted, pressing a hand to her heart and staring up at the animal as it stepped gracefully forwards. It was carrying an apple in its mouth and dropped it at Brittney's feet. _

_ She looked at it curiously until the deer bent down and rolled it closer to her._

_ "Hello deer." She said. _

_ The deer bent down, picked the apple up again, and turned around, pausing just before the large bush. It turned and looked back at them both expectantly. _

_ "Does it want us to follow it?" Mercedes asked, confused. _

_ She stood up and wiped dirt off of her butt. _

_ Brittney shrugged and moved off after the deer, smiling at it. It finally walked off into the bushes once it was sure that they were following behind it._

_ "I thought deer were supposed to be afraid of people." Mercedes said._

_ "Maybe he can sense that we're amazing." Brittney shrugged. _

_ They continued onwards for another few minutes until they reached a large apple tree, ripe with fruit. Both Brittney and Mercedes gasped and ran towards it, grabbing two apples each. _

_ "Thanks deer-man!" Brittney grinned, ruffling the tuft of fur on top of the deer's head. _

_ "Uh, she's a girl." Mercedes said._

_ "How can you tell?" Brittney asked._

_ "Call it a hunch." _

_ Brittney scowled, but turned as the deer began to chew on her shirt. _

_ "Hey!" Brittney started, but realized that the deer wasn't _eating_ her, she was trying to _lead_ her. Brittney shrugged at Mercedes and followed along until they came to a river. Mercedes popped out of the brush after them, awestruck._

_ "This is like, the best animal in the world." She said. "Fish and fruit."_

_ "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you helping us deer-man?" Brittney asked the deer. She, being a deer, did not respond. She simply looked at her with serene, knowing eyes, and walked back off into the forest. _

_ Brittney quickly began to fashion a fishing pole out of one of Mercedes's earrings, a stick, and a lace from her boots and before they knew it, they'd caught three good sized fish and were preparing them around a small private fire._

_ "That was nice of that deer to help us." Brittney said as she stoked the embers._

_ "Uh, yeah!" Mercedes agreed. "It was sweet!" _

_ "Why do you think she did it?" Brittney asked. _

_ Mercedes shrugged._

_ "Maybe she saw something special in us. Animals are smart that way, I've heard."_

_ Brittney nodded, mulling this over._

_ "Cool." She said._

_ "Very."_

* * *

_ Brittney and Mercedes ended up sleeping on the ground next to their fire again, and Mercedes awoke to find the deer had returned, and was chewing on her hair._

_ "Ah!" She screamed, startling Brittney awake. "Girl! No! This is black hair, you don't even understand!" _

_ She rolled away and Brittney rubbed her eyes, looking at the deer in confusion. _

_ "Hello again." She said. "Do you want some fish?" She pointed to the few remains that they'd left. "Or is that cannibalism. Wait, you're a deer, you don't eat meat...do you?"_

_ Brittney paused and shook her head to clear it. _

_ They'd slept late again, it had to be at least four in the afternoon. For some reason she felt safer with a friend by her side. She was pretty certain that her body was catching up on the hours and hours that she'd lost on her initial journey._

_ "Why are you here?" She asked. _

_ The deer lowered her nose to the ground and Brittney realized for the first time that all of their stuff was at her hooves. _

_ "Where did you get those?" She asked._

_ They did not have many things; Mercedes's bag and Brittney's sword and scabbard were it. What confused Brittney was how a deer had climbed a tree, grabbed their gear, and brought it back down. _

_ "How?" Mercedes asked what Brittney was thinking._

_ The deer looked up at the sky and there appeared to be some sort of answering birdsong._

_ "Birds?" She raised her eyebrows._

_ The deer closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, like she was nodding. _

_ "Why?" Mercedes continued._

_ The deer looked off into the forest and Mercedes and Brittney followed its gaze. It was looking back towards the town._

_ "Did something happen in Violetedge?" Brittney asked._

_ "Oh no..." Mercedes whispered. "They burnt it down, I totally forgot!"_

_ The deer nodded sadly. _

_ "Well, what can we do?" Mercedes set her face determinedly. _

_ Brittney was impressed with her. She'd fled her first home, and her second had just been destroyed. Brittney had expected her to crumple, to give in, but now she had a hunch that Mercedes, unlike Brittney herself, knew exactly where her home was. _

_ But she was confused, if it wasn't in Starryville, and it wasn't in Violetedge, where was it? _

_ "Do you want us to go to the town?" Brittney asked. _

_ The deer picked up Mercedes's bag and walked it back through the woods. They followed, Brittney grabbing her sword as they passed, and they found themselves back at the apple tree. The deer reached up, picked a low hanging one, and tried to drop it in her bag. _

_ "You want us to fill a bag with apples?" Mercedes asked, confused._

_ "Alright." Brittney shrugged and set to work. _

_ It was surprisingly difficult, but after two hours, they'd managed to pluck the tree mostly clean and Mercedes was stuck carrying a very bulky bag. The sun was already setting when they looked up next and Brittney frowned._

_ "Now what?" He asked, and the deer turned to walk off even further into the forest._

_ After a relatively lengthy trek, which included following a natural hillside beside a waterfall, they found themselves at another river. The deer turned to look back at them, ears alert, and nudged them both behind several large trees._

_ "What is-" Mercedes started but the deer nipped at her and she shut up, sharing a startled look with Brittney. They both looked out through the trees as the deer went and began drinking from the river. _

_ Almost as soon as she'd taken her position, a dark haired boy in a feathered cap walked out and knelt down beside her, looking down into the water._

_ "Hey!" He said, talking to the deer as if it were an old friend. He was silent for a very long time and Brittney and Mercedes both leaned around their trees to watch the curious situation. "I'm going to be leaving for a while..." The boy said._

_ The deer turned to look at him knowingly. Mercedes realized that she'd known whatever this conversation was had been coming; and she'd brought Brittney and Mercedes there to watch it for a reason. _

_ "I'll come back someday, I promise. Can you tell the three bears that our cave is up for rent? Furniture included!" The boy laughed warmly and the deer turned towards him, nuzzling against his hand as he petted her nose. "I'm gonna miss you."_

_ The deer cuddled against him again and then turned back towards Brittney and Mercedes, who snapped back behind their trees as the boy watched her walk off. When the deer had passed them, it turned to stare at them seriously, like it wanted them to understand the gravity of the situation at hand._

_ Eventually it bent down and plucked a flower out of the Earth that was almost entirely hidden behind a fallen log and walked back with it towards the boy, dropping the flower in his lap. _

_"Cupid's Rose? Where did you find this?" The boy asked. _

_ Mercedes frowned; she honestly wished that she'd been the one to find it. She knew the legend of the Cupid's Rose, and she'd gone on many an excursion attempting to hunt one down. Maybe she'd never find true love...love that didn't hurt her, but now it looked like this nameless boy at the river would. _

_ The deer tilted her head towards the forest and the boy laughed. "Well duh..." He fell silent. "I love you too." He said before he nuzzled her and stood up. "I'll see you again someday; I promise...And remember...you don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams. I don't know what you wish for, because you're a deer and I'm not, but fight for it. Alright? Remember that..."_

_ Brittney let that thought sink in. You don't have to be big, to chase giant dreams. That was true...but it made her wonder, what did she dream? What did she wish? She knew what she wished for...Brittney wished for a home. A real home, one that would be hers, where she would feel safe, and warm, and loved. _

_ "Good. I'll remember too. And I'll keep this flower with me at all times, so I don't forget you! I wish you had something to remember me by..." The boy was saying, Brittney peeked back out from behind the tree, watching as the boy plucked the feathered cap from his head. "I know!" He put the hat atop the deer's head and pulled the strap under her chin. The deer nuzzled him happily and he hugged her one last time._

_ Mercedes thought that their friendship was touching, and even though she didn't know him, she felt sad to watch them part. It reminded her of Kurt, her roommate from Starryville. Kurt had encouraged her to leave town, but at the same time, he'd been one of the only reasons that Mercedes wanted to stay._

_ "See ya later Flower." The boy kissed the deer's face and walked away. _

_ "Flower..." Brittney whispered. That was the deer's name._

_ It turned back to them, looking ridiculously adorable in its new feathered cap. _

_ "Why did you bring us here?" Mercedes asked, stepping out from behind the tree. Brittney walked out after her. "With our stuff?"_

_ "That's her friend." Brittney guessed. Flower nodded. "And she wants us to follow him?" _

_ Flower nodded again and Brittney cheered for herself. _

_ "Girl...we're fugitives. We need to stay hidden." Mercedes said. "Why do we need to follow him?"_

_ Flower stepped towards Brittney and nudged her scabbard._

_ "What about Brittney's sword?" Mercedes asked. Sometimes, she just wished that she could talk to animals. Actually, she wished that pretty much all the time, because it would be so cool, but it would be even more convenient just then._

_ "It's an Imperial sword." Brittney explained. "The Imperial Army is after him too?" She guessed and then tensed, waiting to see what Flower did. _

_ The deer nodded and Brittney jumped, fist-pumping. _

_ "Girl. Calm down." Mercedes said, turning back to Flower. "Where is he going? To town?"_

_ Flower nodded again._

_ "You want us to follow and protect your friend." Brittney guessed and was correct again. "We're looking for our own friends though...no offense."_

_ Flower nodded more violently than ever and actually reared up on her hind legs before directly pointing her body at the boy._

_ "He's with Sam and Quinn." Mercedes realized. "Hah! I got there first!" She taunted Brittney excitedly._

_ "You know what?" Brittney glared at her. "I'm sick of your attitude." She joked. _

_ "Brittney..." Mercedes looked at her. "That boy, is with Sam and Quinn." _

_ "Oh... Oh wait!" Brittney realized. "After him!"_

* * *

_The deer, Flower, led Brittney and Mercedes back out of the woods towards the ruins of Violetedge. She'd known that the damage would be great, but she hadn't expected the barren graveyard that she found. _

_ Brittney held Mercedes's arm to support her as she nearly collapsed to her knees, staring out at the wreckage. There wasn't another citizen in sight, and Brittney honestly had no idea what could possibly have happened to them._

_ They couldn't all have died...could they have?_

_ Flower stepped out after them and nuzzled Mercedes gently, comfortingly. _

_ Mercedes, in a daze, patted the animal atop the head. Slowly, Flower backed off and tilted her head up, gesturing for Brittney and Mercedes to carry on._

_ "Come on." Brittney said, wrapping one arm around Mercedes and leading her onwards. "We've got to protect the people we have left." _

_ Mercedes nodded and took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. She turned to look back at Flower, who was watching them from the edge of the forest._

_ "Thank you." Mercedes said. _

_ Flower nodded and turned, vanishing back into the trees. _

_ "I'm gonna miss her." Mercedes said._

_ "We'll come back and visit." Brittney encouraged her as they picked their way through the rubble. "But Sam and Quinn are in here somewhere, we have to find them."_

_ Mercedes nodded and they began to pick through the debris, but they couldn't find a thing. At one point, Brittney smashed into a broken pot and the clang echoed across the smoking landscape, but it hadn't alerted any soldiers that might be in the area so they continued to look._

_ The hit had bruised her leg so she'd decided to take a break while Mercedes kept looking. She wasn't very successful, and was just about to give up when she spotted Quinn Fabray standing at the edge of town. _

_ Mercedes excitedly sprinted back to Brittney, dragging her to the entrance of town, but Quinn was long gone._

* * *

_ The unlikely twosome left Violetedge that night after scavenging as much as they could. Thanks to Flower, they had all the apples they could want, and as they traversed the wider expanses of meadow, they rarely went too hungry. _

_ Living off of apples alone was not going to happen, but Brittney's skill with a fishing rod made things easier for them. Eventually they decided to follow the river back to Ostvale, and stick to the trees and forests around them._

_ Eventually, Brittney and Mercedes escaped the tree line and found themselves following a large river in the back of a large farming property. _

_ "We should ask if they've seen Sam." Brittney said, looking up at the farm. "They had to have passed by, right?" _

_ "Well did you pass by this farm when you went to Violetedge?" Mercedes asked. _

_ "No, but I travelled by night a lot and I could've missed it." Brittney said. "We should still check." _

_ "Sure!" Mercedes nodded and the two of them walked around to the front porch._

_ "Wait." Brittney said as Mercedes reached out to knock. "What if these people report us, or Sam?" _

_ Mercedes paused, but Brittney continued, answering her own question._

_ "We'll just have to kill them." Brittney decided._

_ "Wait, why would they report us?"_

_ "I don't know! They might!"_

_ "Tell him...tell them it's official business." She said. "That way they don't know they're helping fugitives, so they're safe, and we seem official, so we're safe."_

_ "Alright." Brittney nodded and rapped on the door. _

_ They heard a growling, cranky voice booming that he was on his way, and then the door opened to reveal a grizzled looking man with grey hair and a scowling face._

_ "What do you want?" He snapped._

_ "We're looking for two people, Quinn Fabray and Sam Evans." Brittney said. "Have you seen them?" She was speaking almost robotically, like she was trying to sound overly official._

_ The farmer narrowed his eyes at them both._

_ "What if I have?" He asked. "Why do you need them?"_

_ "It's official business." Brittney said._

_ "Classified." Mercedes put in. "You shouldn't worry about it."_

_ The farmer huffed and looked from Brittney to Mercedes and then back again._

_ "You help me out around the farm and I'll tell you what you need to know." He said, and beckoned them inside. "You can make yourselves comfortable up in the loft for the night, but not too comfortable. I've had enough intruders in my home for one decade." _

_ He turned to show them the way, but somebody yelled to him from outside and he grumbled for them to go on ahead._

_ Brittney and Mercedes camped out in the same room that Sam, Rachel, Quinn and Blaine had camped out in, though neither of them knew it. They waited, bemoaning the fact that they'd have to shovel manure to get the information they so sorely needed. _

_ Eventually, however, they managed to doze off, and they only awoke early the next morning to the sounds of yelling._

* * *

_ "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The farmer was yelling. _

_ Brittney and Mercedes looked at one another, startled. _

_ "Could you move, please?" An unfamiliar female voice asked. The voice was muffled, but sound in the large house carried well. _

_ "I told you you're not going on some stupid suicide mission." The farmer said. _

_ "And I'm ignoring you. Could you move?" _

_ "Like hell I'm moving!" He snapped. _

_ There was silence for a moment and Brittney crept towards the trap door, grabbing it and slowly opening it. _

_ "Those were a gift to your mother." The farmer snapped. _

_ "Yeah, well, she's not gonna use them anymore." The girl said coldly. "Somebody has to."_

_ "No, somebody doesn't!" _

_ Brittney waved Mercedes over as a girl stepped into the living room below her, practically storming towards the front door. _

_ "Get back here! If you leave this farm I'll, I'll-"_

_ "You'll what?" The girl snapped, turning back around and glaring at the farmer._

_ "I'll disown you. You walk out that door, and you will never be able to call yourself my daughter again." He snapped, but even Brittney could tell that he was panicking. The girl raised her eyebrows and laughed. _

_ "I haven't called myself your daughter in a long time." She said coldly and turned around. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder and she whipped around, sword outstretched. _

_ Mercedes gasped and moved towards the ladder, starting down it to try and stop a murder._

_ "Don't touch me." The farmer's daughter snapped._

_ The farmer glared at her, jaw clenched, veins in his neck bulging. _

_ "Why are you doing this?" He asked coldly. _

_ "Because I can." She said as Brittney started down the ladder after Mercedes. "For the first time in my life, I have the chance to do something right. To help good people survive. My life here is comfortable, yeah, but it's worthless!"_

_ Helping good people survive? If Sam and his group had been here, could that mean that she was trying to help them? Mercedes wondered as she reached the bottom. The immediate threat seemed to be gone however, so she stayed off to the side. Neither party had noticed her or Brittney as she landed next to her. _

_ "You take my horses and I'll have the authorities after you faster than you can say 'giddy up!'" He challenged. The girl leaned in close to him. _

_ "Walking is good exercise." She turned away from him, stepping out the front door. Brittney and Mercedes lost sight of her as the farmer ran past, noticing them for the first time and glaring at them, mumbling to mind their own business. _

_ "You're being an idiot! You won't survive out there and I'm not going to come looking for you!" He yelled out the door. "You're just some farm girl; you've got nothing to offer that world! Get your ass inside." _

_ Mercedes gasped, even _she_ was pissed off. That had been too far. _

_ "That's what I thought." The farmer smirked and leaned against the doorframe expectantly. _

_ "Girl, don't come back here." Mercedes whispered to herself. "You've got plenty to offer the world." _

_ "You don't have to be big..." The girl said. "To chase giant dreams." _

_ Brittney gasped. _

_ The boy from the river had said the same thing to Flower the deer, and now this farm girl was saying it too! That wasn't a coincidence! She was following the boy, and if she was following the boy; and the boy was with Sam, than she was also following Sam! Which meant one thing to Brittney; that _they_ should be following _her_. _

_ Brittney grabbed Mercedes's hand and pulled her towards the door, past the farmer, who looked stunned, and down the porch._

_ "Where do you think you're going?" _

_ "Away from here." Brittney said plainly, shrugging._

_ "You haven't paid your debt yet!"_

_ "You said if we worked, you'd give us information." Brittney said. "We don't need your information anymore." She laughed. _

_ "You slept in my house!"_

_ "That wasn't part of the deal." Mercedes said. "Bye!"_

_ And then they were off, chasing after the farmer's daughter, and their friends in turn. They'd lost sight of the girl when they reached the forest once more, but they had not been disappointed when they found her again, standing on the Ostvale end of Falcon Bridge in a cluster, with Sam, Quinn, the boy from the river, and two other unfamiliar people._

_ The five of them turned and walked off into the woods and Brittney and Mercedes practically sprinted after them, but they were too far away, and the group ahead of them was moving quickly. _

_ Brittney concluded that they had to be going to Ostvale, so she began leading Mercedes back to her hometown, fingers itching closer and closer to the Imperial sword at her waist, hair standing up on the back of his neck._

_ She was almost positive that something bad would happen in Ostvale. She had a feeling, and it wasn't a good one._

* * *

_ That feeling was what brought she and Mercedes to Sam's house instead of her own when they finally arrived in Ostvale. She had to protect her friends, and she could only guess that that was where they would go first. _

_ She was wrong._

_ "Brittney!" Sam's mother gasped as she opened the door of the inn, which had a large 'closed for repairs' sign up in the front. _

_ Brittney looked up at the fire damage on the second floor and cringed. She remembered her first attempt at escape from Ostvale all too well. There was even a stack of metal pipe leaning against the wall inside the door._

_ The woman ushered Brittney and Mercedes inside and shut the door, triple-checking that it was locked. _

_ "What are you doing here? I thought you'd been captured?" _

_ "Yeah." Brittney drawled. "I escaped." _

_ "How?" Sam's mother asked incredulously._

_ "By being awesome." She said. "Is Sam here?" _

_ The woman looked confused. _

_ "Brittney, you were here when Sam left town." She said, as if worried that she'd gone insane. _

_ "Umm...we followed Sam here...he's your son right?" Mercedes stepped forwards. _

_ "Adopted yes." She said. "Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"_

_ "Mercedes Jones. Brittney rescued me from the Imperial soldiers."_

_ "Oh, so you're a fugitive." _

_ "It's cause I'm black!" Mercedes said. "Seriously, that is the actual reason why I am a fugitive. Because I am black."_

_ "That doesn't surprise me. Not with this monarchy." Sam's mother said. She shook her head. "Now, wait, you said you followed Sam here?"_

_ "Yep. He didn't come here?" Brittney asked, looking around. _

_ "I'm afraid not...but Ostvale is crawling with soldiers! It's not safe for him to be here! I can't even leave the house without a soldier following me everywhere I go." She sighed and rested a hand on the table. She paused suddenly and looked up, fear evident in her eyes. "Somebody's watching the door!" _

_ "What?" Mercedes leaned in closer to her, confused._

_ "There's always a soldier at the door! They know you're here!" _

_ Suddenly the police station bell began to chime. _

_ "Oh no." Mercedes swore. _

_ They all turned as the door was kicked to the ground and several soldiers broke in. _

_ "Where is he?" One of the soldiers screamed. _

_ "Run!" Sam's mother grabbed Mercedes and Brittney and launched them towards the back entrance, but three soldiers entered through that door as well. "Sam's in trouble! You have to help him!" _

_ "We will!" Brittney said, unsheathing her sword. She whipped it through the air at one of the soldiers and nailed him in the chest. Mercedes sprinted forwards, ducking under a sweeping attack by one of the other soldiers and pulled the sword from the first soldier's chest. _

_ She used the momentum to spin herself around, blade first, taking out another soldier in the process. She tossed the sword back to Brittney who caught it as the last soldier lunged at her but she bent into a bridge and then pushed herself up into a handstand, clamping the man's hand between her knees and twisting until he dropped his sword to the ground. _

_ Brittney twisted; hand-springing off to the side as Mercedes tackled the soldier to the ground, grabbed his head, and smacked it against the floor. The soldier fell unconscious and Brittney reached out, pulling Mercedes to her feet. _

_ They both looked back as Sam's mother kicked two soldiers in the chest at the same time. _

_ "Go!" She yelled to them and Brittney nodded, diving past Mercedes and pulling her out the door. _

_ "Where are we going?" Mercedes yelled as they ran through an alley._

_ "The prison, that's the alarm bell!" Brittney yelled._

_ A soldier jumped around a corner and lunged at them but Brittney smashed the hilt of her sword down on the man's wrist, causing him to drop his own weapon to the ground. _

_ The man swung his fist at Brittney, but she ducked and Mercedes caught the punch, twisting the man's hand until he hit the ground. She kicked him hard in the temple and knocked him out before she grabbed his sword and they continued on to the jail._

_ They managed to dispatch a few soldiers on their way, but they both stopped short when the jail came into view. _

_ Brittney watched as Quinn was practically thrown from the jail by the lanky boy who had teleported her friends away the first time. Quinn ran and the boy chased after her, closely followed by the farmer's daughter, and then the boy from the lake. _

_ Seconds after they'd turned the corner, at least forty soldiers congregated on the jail and began to give chase._

_ "Hey!" Brittney yelled._

_ "What are you doing?" Mercedes glared at her, backing away as several soldiers turned towards them._

_ "We're both fugitives too! You might as well make a clean sweep!" She said._

_ "Brittney!" Mercedes hissed._

_ "They can't take all of them. I don't know where Sam is, but we can help them by keeping those soldiers away!"_

_ "Split them up." Mercedes realized. "Make their numbers weaker."_

_ "Yeah!" Brittney nodded and Mercedes frowned and sighed._

_ With a bright smile, she turned to look at the twenty-five odd soldiers who had turned to face them. She waved pleasantly then gave them the finger, turned, grabbed Brittney, and ran for it. _

_ Mercedes and Brittney sprinted through the town as quickly as they could, kicking up rocks behind them. They reached the fountain and stopped short as five soldiers cut in front of them. Brittney cartwheeled and swiped her sword forwards, taking out two of them. _

_ Mercedes parried one soldier's blow and then kicked him backwards. She turned to block the other soldier but cried out as an arrow hit her in the arm. She grabbed it and pulled it out gingerly, turning to look at the archer in shock._

_ "Mercedes!" Brittney gasped, pivoting and throwing her sword over her head at the archer, taking him out. "What's happening?"_

_ "Shit!" Mercedes gasped, ducking out of the way of an overhead swipe from another soldier and turning to stab him through the middle. "The other soldier classes are coming out!" _

_ They both turned as the other soldiers caught up to them. Mercedes looked around frantically for a weapon as a larger soldier with a helmet and a bo staff lumbered towards her. He grunted stupidly and swung it at her. She cried out and dove backwards out of the way. The bo hit and broke the fountain and water began to gush everywhere._

_ Brittney gasped as the cold water began to rain down upon her, and took a staggering step backwards, just in time to avoid another archer's weapon. She turned and began to charge at the ranged soldier. A swordsman stepped in her way and Brittney pushed him backwards and planted her foot against the soldiers hip, then continued running up his body onto his shoulder and then leaping through the air, somersaulting past the archer and turning as both soldiers fell dead from where Brittney had stabbed them on her way past._

_ Mercedes ducked in the water and jumped back as the bo staff came down on her again. She cringed as she landed on her butt, but immediately had to roll out of the way as the staff smacked down towards her again. She gasped and looked up at the soldier through her bangs as he moved to kick her. _

_ She reached up and grabbed his foot, rolling over and using his own momentum to topple him into the dust. She jumped to her feet and lunged for his fallen bo staff, diving and grabbing it, rolling back to her feet and swinging it forwards so hard that she snapped the neck of another soldier that had moved in to attack her. _

_ She turned back to the huge man on the ground and brought the weapon down on his head. Backing away and panting as he fell silent. She screamed as she backed into somebody and she found Brittney there. _

_ "We can't take them all!" Mercedes cried._

_ "The roof!" Brittney pointed and Mercedes nodded, diving towards the broken fountain and planting a foot on one of the remaining parts. She launched herself at the roof and managed to grab it, narrowly. She swung herself up and over it and beckoned for Brittney to follow. _

_ Brittney jumped after her, but another soldier grabbed her leg and pulled her back towards the ground. She cried out and cut the soldier's arm as she fell, flailing for the edge. _

_ Her hand connected with Mercedes's bo staff and the other girl smiled down at her._

_ "I got you!" She smiled and hauled her up with her._

_ "Over the edge!" Brittney pointed to the walls that marked the city limits of Ostvale and the two of them took off towards it, leaping into the air and back into freedom._

* * *

**For Love**

"After that it's pretty straight forward." Mercedes said, looking around at the others that surrounded the campfire. "We went through the desert, and I almost died a few times. Brittney saved me. Then we got here and Tina tried to hide you all from us, but then we found you."

"Wow..." Rachel blinked. "You were there the whole time, and we never even knew."

"We're superheroes." Brittney smiled and everybody laughed.

"We should probably get some sleep." Tina said hesitantly, unpacking some blankets that she'd thought to bring and throwing them on the ground. Kitty added a blanket of her own and soon they had a decent sized sleeping area.

Quinn looked at Blaine, biting her lip.

Since bringing her back to life, they hadn't had much time to talk. They'd sat together during Brittney and Mercedes's stories, but he hadn't said anything. It was like he was afraid to believe that she'd actually appeared.

She decided to approach him, but just as she reached him, he collapsed onto the ground.

"Blaine!" She cried out, but Finn rushed over.

"Don't worry!" He said. "He's just sleeping! It took a lot of energy for him to bring you back to life. Talk to him in the morning, kay?" Finn said.

Quinn frowned but agreed and walked away.

Finn looked up to find Kitty watching them and nodded to her before settling in to sleep.

Kitty absently stroked the locket and bit her lip. She was shocked, honestly. These people were so good to each other. They were willing to almost kill themselves for one another. She didn't understand it, she would've done the same for her brother, but they were related. Some of these people had only met recently if their stories were true...

She frowned and went to sleep. Finn, who was watching her, vowed to talk to her about whatever was making her uneasy the next day.

Across the camp, Sam was settling in near Santana. He smiled and looked up at the moon. The same moon that he and Brittney and Quinn had sung to that night so long ago in Ostvale. They'd come so far, and now they were all back together again, the three of them.

"Cool that we keep gaining friends, huh?" He said to Santana.

She didn't answer, but continued to stare at the ground, looking shocked.

"Santana?" He asked.

"Hmm...? Oh. What? Yes!" She blinked and looked at him, shaking her head.

"Are you alright?" He laughed.

Santana nodded and Sam shrugged, turning in. Santana looked over her shoulder and allowed herself one last look at Brittney. She didn't understand. What was this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach? It felt like she was falling, too fast, she didn't understand it. Each time she looked at this girl, her face got hot and her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies.

She shook her head and settled down to sleep. Just before she closed her eyes she spotted a flower growing next to a tree right in front of her. She reached out and plucked it.

"Cupid's Rose." She whispered.

She looked at Brittney one last time and slipped it into her boot before falling to sleep.

* * *

"Do you ever think about the birds whose children we are essentially crushing?" Santana asked as she cracked an egg over the pan that Blaine and Sam had retrieved from the remains of Violetedge. It hissed as it hit the metal that was set over the fire.

"Santana!" Rachel cringed, dishing out apples and berries into equal piles around her.

"I'm just saying!" She shrugged.

Rachel sat back and considered it for a moment.

"I guess I've never really thought about it. I've lived in the woods for so long that it seems like second nature for me to search for eggs." She shrugged and looked over at Santana, who had glanced off to the side and completely ignored her.

Rachel followed her gaze and spotted Brittney talking casually to Mercedes, leaning against a tree and munching on an apple that she'd picked up from Rachel earlier that morning.

Rachel narrowed her eyes and turned to look back at Santana as Brittney laughed at something Mercedes said. Santana blushed and smiled, eyes still trained on the other girl.

"Ahah!" Rachel stood up suddenly, spilling several berries to the ground.

"What the hell Hobbit!" Santana scowled and bent down to retrieve the berries, rationing them out amongst the portions.

"You like Brittney!" Rachel called her out and all of the color drained from Santana's face.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Santana stood up and began to walk away but Rachel practically leapt after her, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around.

"Oh no! You're not getting away that easily!" Rachel snapped. "You are all over me twenty-four seven about Sam!"

"So you admit you like him!" Santana tried to turn the tables but Rachel turned them right back.

"You said that if you had somebody to love you'd be all over them. Well there you go!"

"What makes you think I like Brittney?" Santana hissed.

"Uh, your face Santana." Rachel said plainly. "It's not like you're hiding it very well."

"Fuck."

"Go talk to her than." Rachel folded her arms and dug her foot into the ground triumphantly. "If it's that easy."

"But…" Santana took a deep breath. "Boys are supposed to be with girls…not-"

"Oh please." Rachel shook her head. "The king may not be okay with it, but everybody crushes on people of the same gender sometimes. It isn't like people are gay or straight, some are just less straight than others. It's a gamble, yeah, but it's not like you don't mind taking risks."

Rachel stared at Santana with Santana's own trade-mark bitch glare, which was not okay, because that was Santana's! But she raised a good point…

Santana looked uncertain and glanced from side to side, searching for some way out of the situation. She looked at Brittney, and then back at Rachel, who was staring at her victoriously. Santana scowled and balled her fists.

"Fine!" She snapped and stormed past Rachel towards her newfound love interest.

"What?" Rachel blinked and turned to watch her, stunned.

She hadn't expected Santana to actually accept her challenge! It wasn't that easy to talk to people you liked like that! You didn't just decide to take that leap!

Rachel paused.

Did you?

She turned to look at Sam who was talking excitedly to Quinn, no doubt filling her in on what had happened since her death.

Why shouldn't she tell him how she felt? She wondered.

So Rachel set her face, and Rachel stormed over to him, and Rachel tapped him on the shoulder, and Rachel looked up at him as he turned around and smiled at her, and Rachel's heart fluttered, and Rachel promptly chickened out again.

"Hi!" Sam smiled at her; Quinn looked on, clearly amused as Rachel's determined look fell.

"...Hello!" Rachel squeaked out.

"What's up?" Sam prompted, clearly confused.

"...Uh...nothing. Never mind. Eggs...need...more. Bye." She turned on her heel and walked off into the forest, barely managing to restrain from hitting herself in the face.

Sam watched Rachel sprint away with a look of utter confusion clearly painted across his face. He felt, rather than saw, Quinn sidle up next to him.

"She is _so_ in love with you." Quinn said simply.

"No way..." He said, but even he didn't sound like he believed himself.

"I think you like her too." Quinn said casually.

Sam said nothing. He only looked away.

Quinn smirked and walked away, having planted her seeds in Sam's mind. Maybe something would finally happen between them, so she wouldn't have to watch the both of them tiptoeing around their blatantly obvious infatuation.

Sam frowned, letting this information sink in. What if Rachel really did like him... did he like her too? He certainly felt for her... when he saw her, he was happy, and he liked spending time with her, and he was really concerned with helping her to become brave, just like he'd helped Santana, and how he still had to help...

"Sam..." A soft voice spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. Sam closed his eyes slowly and turned around.

This was not a conversation he'd been looking forwards to. He'd known that it was coming...but he didn't want to have a 'real talk'! That wasn't what he'd signed up for...

Blaine frowned up at him and took a shuttering breath.

"It's fine." Sam said.

"I'm sorry." Blaine said anyways. "I should've trusted you..."

"It's all good." Sam smiled and turned away.

Blaine looked at Sam's back, hurt. He took a staggering step backwards, as if Sam's immediate dismissal had been a slap to the face. He didn't understand...how could somebody so nice, be so cruel without even realizing it.

Blaine took a few deep breaths and turned around, clenching his fists and storming away.

Sam paused and looked down at the ground. He could hear Blaine retreating. That was what he'd wanted, right? No more heavy talks. He just wanted to have fun, he didn't want to think about everything that had gone wrong...or how dysfunctional things might be.

But Blaine did...

Sam wasn't a sentimental person!

But... Blaine _was_.

Sam frowned. Had he been looking at the situation the wrong way? Sure he saw things in his own way, but his friends had totally different methods of handling things. Blaine's method involved his friends...Blaine's method needed them.

_And I'm shutting him out... _Sam realized. He was alienating his own friend, without even realizing it...making the other boy feel alone, and scared and...and _unloved_. Sam set his face and turned around.

"Blaine!" He called out.

Maybe the other boy was a little dramatic, and maybe he was a little needy, but he genuinely cared...and that was more than most. He was friendship personified, for better or worse, and maybe friendship was sensitive, but it was just as strong when it had to be.

Blaine turned slowly to look at their leader with sad, hooded eyes.

Sam didn't say anything, he didn't have to. He just opened his arms and gave his friend a hug.

"Don't worry about it, we all make mistakes. I know how hard loss is, I should've been more sensitive." Sam said when he pulled away.

Blaine looked up at him, seemingly shocked.

"Don't feel alone." Sam said. Though it didn't seem like it fit in with their conversation, to the silent interchange between them, it was all too relevant. "You are loved."

Blaine smiled softly, genuinely touched. For the first time since Quinn's death, Blaine felt loved.

* * *

"Do you work out?" Santana gushed. Brittney smiled at her, completely oblivious.

"No." She said simply. "I mean, I fight soldiers and stuff, and I train with my sword I guess."

"Uh...yeah." Santana paused, desperately scrambling for something to say. "Well, it shows?" She looked to Mercedes, who was standing nearby looking amused.

"Thanks! You too!" She said. "I'm hungry." She looked over Santana's head.

"Oh, let me get that for you!" Santana sauntered back to grab an apple, being sure to swivel her hips seductively. She slowly leaned down to grab it, smiling at her over her shoulder before snapping up. She turned and brought it back to her, rubbing it slowly on her shirt and handing it to Brittney, tossing her hair in an attempt to be sexy.

"Thanks!" Brittney smiled and snatched it from her.

Santana deflated.

"With my luck you're allergic to apples." She groaned.

"I am." Brittney said, biting into it.

"Wait, what?" She blinked, looking up at her.

"Brittney, what do you think allergic means?" Mercedes interjected.

"I don't know." Brittney nodded.

"Enough said!" Mercedes smiled, stepping in and pushing Brittney. "Brittney, you should go talk to Sam." She said and Brittney shrugged walking away.

Santana scowled and watched her depart.

"You're going to have to be more obvious than that if you want her to fall for you." Mercedes said. "I'm pretty sure she has difficulty believing somebody would want her, for whatever reason. I mean, girl's cute! She's just a little slow about these things. I also don't know that she'd be able to pick up on the whole lesbian vibe…"

"I tried to be obvious!" Santana groaned, trying not to blush. "I tried to sexily rub an apple all up on me! Do you know how hard that is? Apples are not sexy fruit! There are very few sexy fruit! Apples are not one of them!"

"Maybe try something even more obvious next time. I'm sure she'll come around." Mercedes smiled and patted Santana's back before walking away.

* * *

Quinn sighed, watching as Blaine nodded to Sam and began walking away, back to the campfire that they'd set up to prepare breakfast.

"Have you seen Kitty?" Finn asked, approaching her.

Quinn shook her head.

"She went off to catch some fish earlier, but I don't think she's returned yet."

"Thanks Quinn." Finn said offhandedly, stepping past her. "By the way, you should go talk to him. I mean, his love brought you back from the death. It's not like he's going to reject you now."

Quinn considered this and turned to look at Blaine who was poking the burning lump of what was once eggs before both Santana and Rachel had abandoned their duties. Quinn shrugged and approached him.

He looked up as she walked over and smiled shyly.

"Hey." She laughed.

"Hey." He smiled.

They stood there for a while in silence, just staring at one another.

"So..." He said.

"I wanted to thank you for...you know...bringing me back to life and whatever." Quinn shrugged.

"And whatever." Blaine teased, laughing.

"You know what I mean!" Quinn scowled.

"I know what you mean." He nodded. "I prefer you alive, I think." He laughed.

"I prefer me alive too." She said.

"So...are we like.." Blaine trailed off, mumbling.

"What?" Quinn leaned forwards.

"Are we...uhh..." He mumbled again.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Are we dating?" He burst out.

Quinn pretended to think about it, breathing in between her teeth and sighing.

"I don't know, I mean, your love brought me back from the dead, but I don't know if that's romantic enough for my tastes." She teased.

"You're a bitch." He laughed, shaking his head.

"You love me anyways. Boyfriend..." She teased, giggling slightly. The word felt funny on her tongue, but not unpleasant.

"You know what, you owe me for that. Girlfriend." Blaine challenged.

"Do I?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, but I'll let it go for another kiss." He smiled cheesily. She rolled her eyes and smacked his arm, but obliged.

She stepped back and linked arms with her newly official boyfriend. She rested her head against his shoulder and watched as Brittney walked away from Santana and Mercedes. Her soaring heart sank suddenly.

"When are you going to tell her?" Blaine asked.

Quinn sighed and closed her eyes.

"I don't want to." She frowned.

"You have to."

"I know." She sighed.

"I'll help you." He said, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly. "But it has to come from you. You're her friend, you were the one her Dad trusted to relay the message. You can do it."

Quinn sighed again, but nodded and opened her eyes.

"Alright." She nodded.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Rachel had lost the battle within her mind and had succumbed to hitting herself in the face, punctuating each word with a fresh smack.

That had been close. Closer than ever before. She was losing her grip, she was falling for him, and she was losing her hold on the walls around her. Soon she wouldn't have any handholds if she allowed this to progress! Then she'd just freefall, and he wouldn't want to catch her, and her friends would be at the top wondering where she'd gone because she would've just abandoned them in hopes that she could frolic about in a meadow with a pretty man as if she were in some sort of storybook. No, she'd just fall forever, and there wouldn't be any pretty man, or flowers, or frolicking, or-

"You look stressed out." Kitty said.

Rachel screamed and tripped over a log, falling flat on her face in the grass of the riverbank. She groaned and sobbed in frustration, pounding her fists on the ground.

Kitty jumped up from where she'd been sitting with one of their makeshift fishing rods and hurried over to the older girl, helping her to sit up.

"Are you alright?" She asked hesitantly.

Rachel sighed, smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just getting myself all worked up over nothing." She said.

Kitty nodded but didn't press the issue. She turned back to her fish and Rachel watched her curiously for a moment. She was the new girl, the enigma. Rachel didn't know much about her, except that she was currently leading them.

"So where are we going again?"

Kitty glanced over her shoulder and the light glinted off of her locket.

"Starryville, then through the Vertglass Mines. He should be around the Silvershore, just along the Wintersea."

"How do you know?"

"I _don't_ know." She shrugged. She didn't, she honestly didn't, but something told her that that was the way the group was to travel. She had a bad feeling about her journey, but she didn't tell Rachel about it.

"What _is_ that?" Rachel asked.

"Hmm?" Kitty looked up and Rachel pointed to the locket.

Kitty blanched. She grabbed it protectively in her hands and swallowed nervously.

"A locket." She said.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"It was my parents." Kitty said quickly.

Rachel smiled softly.

"That's really nice. My parents are the King's right hand man and woman. They never loved me enough to give me something to remember them by." She shrugged. "It sucks what happened to your family, but at least you won't ever have to forget them with that. And soon we'll find Puck too, and you two can be reunited!" She smiled and Kitty smiled back, a smile thick with guilt and hesitance.

* * *

Finn watched Kitty and Rachel through the trees, eyes narrowed in confusion. It was clear to him that Kitty was lying, and whatever she was lying about was gnawing on her. She was practically radiating guilt, and he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why.

He stood up straight and turned around, almost running directly into Tina.

"What are you doing?" She whispered harshly.

"Spying." He said. "What are you doing?"

"Telling everybody that we're just about ready to move on towards Starrybrooke. Mercedes says we should reach it by nightfall!" Tina said. "Why are you spying?"

Finn frowned; it was time to be sincere. He was still unused to it; sincerity, but something about it felt right to him.

"I'm worried about Kitty." He finally admitted. "She's hiding something."

Tina peered past him at Kitty who had turned back to the river. She was disconnecting her line, and had a good sized number of fish beside her. They would definitely last the ten of them until Starryville at least!

"Talk to her once we hit the city. You'll be able to hide from the rest of us more easily." She said. "It might be personal."

Finn nodded.

"Alright, thanks."

"No problem." She said, stepping past him and towards the others. "Guys, we're gonna leave soon, alright? We should all probably head back to camp."

"Okay." Kitty nodded and picked up her fish. She turned to look at Rachel. "Feel better, about whatever it is that was bugging you, I mean."

Rachel frowned.

She'd almost successfully forgotten about Sam.

Almost.

"Are you coming?" Tina asked her.

"I'll be there in a second." Rachel sighed, standing up and walking to the water's edge. She peered down into the river as Tina and Kitty disappeared. She looked into her own sad eyes and shook her head.

How was it possible for somebody she loved so much, to cause her so much stress?

* * *

"...What?" Brittney whispered, looking at Quinn, stunned. Blaine stood nearby with Mercedes, both watching the scene unfold with sad eyes.

"He said to tell you that he's sorry." Quinn said, reaching out and taking Brittney's hands. "He knows he made a mistake kicking you out, and he's sorry. He wanted you to know that he loved you..." She whispered.

Brittney stared at the ground, eyes unfocused.

How was this possible? Her father was dead...her father! Her mother had left them both, and Brittney's father had worked so tirelessly to provide for the two of them. Yeah, he had a mean streak, and sometimes Brittney complained about him, but that didn't mean that she didn't love him...

Brittney stumbled forwards past Quinn.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak, she could barely think. She just kept running through memories of her father teaching her how to count, and taking her on sightseeing trips around town on his shoulders.

Brittney wasn't looking where she was going, she was lost in her own head, so she wasn't really surprised when her foot caught on a root and she began to fall. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and somebody grunted as she fell into them, gently lowering her to the ground.

"Just take deep breaths." A girl's voice said.

Brittney looked up and dimly managed to make out Sam's face, peering down at her. Behind him, stood the girl who she'd been talking to earlier. The one who brought her an apple, Santana.

"She's in shock." Santana informed Sam. "Don't go anywhere, alright? Hold her hand; she needs somebody here for her. I'm going to go get some water for her."

Brittney heard her running off into the distance and then felt Sam's hand worm its way into Brittney's grasp. The sudden familiar feeling cut through Brittney and she clung to it, grabbing Sam's hand so hard that Sam almost cried out, but he bit his lip. Brittney needed him...

"Sam?" Brittney whispered.

"Yeah, I'm here." Sam nodded, looking down at his friend sadly. He'd never seen Brittney such a wreck.

"My dad..."

"I know." Sam told her. "We're here for you. Santana's gone to get water, alright, do you want to try and sit up?"

Brittney shakily nodded and Sam helped her into a sitting position. Brittney never let go of Sam's hand, so he just sat cross-legged beside Brittney and wrested their hands on his knee.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked.

Brittney shook her head, looking up at the stars. Was her father up there? Shining down on them like one of the stars?

"Is Dad in heaven?" Brittney asked so quietly that Sam had to lean in to hear her.

"There's not a doubt in my mind." Sam said.

Brittney smiled slightly, a smile that turned gradually into a whimpering pout as she tried not to cry.

"Here." Santana said as she knelt down beside her, a mug of water in her hands. "Drink this." She pressed it into her hands and she shakily obliged.

"Thanks." Brittney whispered to her and she nodded.

"I lost my mother." She said. "She was killed by bandits while on the road. It wasn't her fault; she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like your dad. I understand, and I'm here for you."

Brittney turned to her, giving Santana her undivided attention.

"How did you get through?" She whispered.

Santana smiled softly and rested one of her hands on the top of Brittney's chest.

"You just have to remember, he'll always be with you. Right here. In your heart." She said. "In everything you do, every challenge you have to face, every battle you might not win, he'll be standing at your back encouraging you, every step of the way." She nodded and Brittney smiled at her, blinking back tears.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Santana nodded and pulled her into a hug.

Soon enough, Brittney had fallen asleep in her arms and Santana closed her eyes, resting Brittney's head under her chin. She opened them again and looked at Sam.

"We should post-pone leaving until after she wakes up again. She needs time to process what just happened." She said.

Sam nodded and stood up, looking down at the two of them, he thought they looked like a cute sort of couple.

He stepped back out into the camp and looked around. Mercedes, Blaine and Quinn were standing nearby, looking at him worriedly.

"How is she?" Mercedes asked.

"Fine. Santana's got her covered." Sam said.

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief and Blaine pulled her closer to him. Sam looked at them and frowned. They also looked like a cute couple.

"Where's Rachel?" He asked.

"She's near the river." Finn said, stepping out of the woods with Kitty and Tina behind him. "She said she'd just be a minute."

Sam nodded.

She was stuck on his mind, and he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why.

"We're going to spend another night here." He said. "I know we're close to Starryville, but Brittney needs her rest."

Even with Brittney in his situation, for whatever reason, Sam couldn't stop thinking about Rachel.

As he began to assign jobs to some of the others he couldn't help but feel lonesome without Rachel at his side. Maybe it was because they'd been spending so much time together, maybe it was because he was constantly running from death and just wanted something to latch on to, maybe it was just excess love that spilled off of Blaine and Quinn's obvious attraction that managed to hit him, but whatever it was...he felt something for this girl.

He sighed as he leaned against a tree, watching the others set up for another night.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Colbie Caillait: I Think I'm Fallin' For You**

Rachel looked down into the river, letting her dreams run wild. She imagined Sam walking up behind her and looking down into the water with her. A fish broke the surface and his image faded away.

She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back on the ground and wrapping her arms around her knees.

_"I don't know but...I think I may be, fallin' for you..." _She sighed and leaned her head back against a tree, picturing Sam in her mind, smiling warmly at her. _"Dropping so quickly maybe I should, keep this to myself, wait until I, know you better..." _

She stood up and spun around the tree, alighting on a large rock. _"I am tryin...not to tell you. But I want to!" _She frowned and stood up, brushing herself off. _"I'm scared of what you'll say, so I'm hiding...what I'm feeling...but I'm tired of, holding this inside my head!" _

Sam sighed and leaned his head against the tree.

_"I've been spending all my time, just thinking 'bout ya! I don't know what to do...I think I'm fallin' for you." _He sang. He stepped away from his spot as the others dispersed and began trekking into the woods. _"I've been waiting all my life, and now I found ya! I don't know what to do...I think I'm fallin' for you! I'm fallin' for you." _

He sighed, love-struck.

Rachel looked back into the river and imagined Sam walking back up to her.

_"As I'm standing here, and you hold my hand, pull me towards you and we start to dance!" _She smiled as, in the imagined reflection; she and Sam danced lovingly around the clearing. _"All around us, I see nobody."_

Her phantom image of Sam dropped her hand and faded away. She blinked to find herself back at the edge of the riverbank, sighing.

_"Here in silence...it's just you and me." _She frowned, skipping a stone into the water. _"I'm trying, not to tell you...but I want to! I'm scared of what you'll say, so I'm hiding what I'm feeling, but I'm tired of...holding this inside my head!"_

In another part of the forest, Sam joined her for the chorus, both oblivious to the other.

_"I've been spending all my time, just thinkin' bout ya, I don't know what to do! I think I'm fallin' for you! I've been waiting all my life and now I've found ya, I don't know what to do! I think I'm fallin' for you! I'm fallin' for you..." _They sang together.

Sam stepped through the trees, catching sight of Rachel standing at the edge of the riverbank.

_"Oh I just can't take it! My heart is racing!" _He whisper-sang. As Rachel's hair blew softly in the wind. _"The emotions keep spinning out!" _

Sam turned and leaned against the back of his tree just as Rachel turned, missing him by seconds. She sighed and looked back into the river.

_"I've been spending all my..." _She sighed. _"Time, just thinkin' bout you. I don't know what to do! I think I'm fallin' for you!" _

Sam sighed and began to walk back towards the camp, not having the guts to talk to Rachel. _"I've been waiting all my, life, and now I found ya! I don't know what to do! I think I'm fallin' for you!"_

_ "I'm fallin for you..." _They sang together. _"I think I'm fallin' for you!"_

_ "I can't stop thinkin' 'bout it!" _Rachel belted, extending her arms to the sky. _"I want you all around me! And now I just can't hide it!" _

_ "I think I'm fallin' for you!" _Sam ran a hand through his hair as he walked..

_"I can't stop thinkin' bout it!" _She sang. _"I want you all around me! And now I just can't hide it!"_

_ "I think I'm fallin' for you!" _He crooned to the trees above him.

_"I'm fallin' for you!" _Rachel sighed sitting back down and looking into the river.

_"Ooohh..." _Sam smiled, biting his lip as he re-entered the campsite. _"Oh no no..."_

_ "Oh ooh oh oh oh oh..." _Rachel rested her head against the tree.

Both of them sighed dreamily.

_"Oh I'm fallin' for you..."_

* * *

_Sam shivered as he awoke, looking up into the stormy skies of his dream meadow. He sat up in confusion and looked around, hesitant. _

_ "Hi!" A chipper voice sang from behind him. He turned with a start to find Mercedes with her hand extended. _

_ "Mercedes?" He asked, accepting her hand and rising to his feet. _

_ "Mmhmm!" She smiled warmly at him. _

_ "Why am I here again?" He asked._

_ "You're here because you opened your heart." She said, smiling at him. "You first opened it to help me...you cared about me, even before you knew me. But caring..._that_ was never your problem. Your problem was admitting to yourself, and to everybody else, just how much you cared. If you hadn't done that...Well...here, I'll show you." _

_ She began to lead him towards the doorway and he paused to take a deep breath just outside of it, looking around at the stormy meadow. _

_ Just like before, when the door opened, the wind from behind him pulled him inside and tossed him onto the ground until he'd rolled to a stop in the middle of the castle hallway._

_ He looked up to find Blaine still sitting in the corner. _

_ Both Sam and Blaine jolted as Blaine's younger self began to cry uncontrollably. They both looked over, and slowly, the older Blaine rose to his feet, pausing and looking off to the side as if realizing something for the first time._

_ "Hey!" He said. _

_ His younger self paused and sniffled, looking up at him. _

_ Blaine smiled at him and approached. _

_ "Who are you?" The little boy asked. _

_ "I'm you..." Blaine nodded. "From the future."_

_ "Why are you here?" _

_ "I'm here...I'm here to tell you that you're loved, and you always will be, alright?" Blaine smiled and took his own hands. "Rachel will always love you, no matter what, that'll never change! You're going to meet so many other people on your journey, and they're all gonna love you too, because you deserve it. Never give up, even when things seem their darkest, because it's love that'll pull you through! Fight for yourself, and fight for your friends. Trust me..." He laughed. "I'm you."_

_ "Don't feed him lies!" A roaring voice spat. _

_ Blaine stood up and glared at his father. _

_ "I'm not." He snapped. _

_ "Nobody loves a pest boy, I told you once already." His father snarled as he stormed back down the corridor._

_ "Maybe not. But we're not pests." He placed a hand on his young self's shoulders as the little boy stood up. "We're lovers...and we're fighters, and we'll fight for the things that we love."_

_ "A pest is incapable of love." _

_ "You're wrong." Blaine snapped, holding his younger self close to him. Sam gasped as the white light from the first dream jumped out of him and began to form a circle around them all. A purple light from Mercedes joined his, and soon all the rest of the colors had joined in, pink and silver he recognized from Santana and Kurt. Quinn's light blue was mingled in with them as well. "If you have a heart, you can love...maybe that's why you can't." _

_ Blaine smiled determinedly at his father, even as their hair rustled haphazardly in the wind._

_ "I love!" His father said indignantly, looking around at the lights nervously._

_ "You love yourself, and little more. You love power, and you love money. That's why you're evil, that's why you'll lose, because love is stronger than all of that! It doesn't matter how little you have if you've got something to fight for...and I do. I've got several things."_

_ "Don't be ridiculous."_

_ "I'm not." Blaine snapped. "You can't delude me any longer. I know how valuable love is...how it makes everything better, just by being there. Love is the light in this world, and that's why you're so dark. You are everything that I'll never be. Now show yourself."_

_ His father snarled and then jerked forwards, gasping and shuddering until he'd morphed into a shadowy version of Blaine. _

_ Blaine grabbed his young self's hand and a green light began to glow between them._

_ "You're not a part of me anymore." They said together, and a blast of green light pushed the shadowy doppelganger back into the clutches of the rest of the light, pulling him out of the ring and destroying him. _

_ Blaine looked down as his younger self dissolved, smiling and waving happily up at him, and when he turned, he found Sam waiting for him, arms wide._

_ "You did it!" Sam said, grabbing him and lifting him up._

_ "_We _did it!" Blaine corrected him, beaming and blinking back tears. "Thank you so much Sam, for everything...you saved me..."_

_ "You deserved to know that people really cared. Don't question that, they do. I do!" He smiled. _

_ Blaine nodded._

_ "I know that." He grinned as he began to fade away. "Thanks to you."_

_ When Sam looked up he found that the light had faded away, and the corridor was empty. _

_ "He's done with this world now." Mercedes said, coming up behind him. "You saved him." She smiled. _

_ "Only one more to go." Sam smiled, rubbing his hands together. _

_ "Right...and it's going to be harder than either of the others. I had to be strong in the face of love...I had to make the right decision, and not let my feelings cloud my judgements. You're going to have to do the same thing very soon. Rachel is starting to depend on you a lot, and that's awesome...but she still needs to be strong on her own, and you have to show her that. Good luck Sam." Mercedes smiled at him and waved goodbye. "I believe in you."_

* * *

**_Okay, so now you know the long and sometimes not very interesting story of Brittney and Mercedes. In the next chapter, the Imperial Guard of Starryville stops the travellers, demanding that they move around until a familiar face changes his mind. Sam and Rachel get close at the festival of lights, and Santana finally makes some headway of her own. Tina finds more than she bargains for in the city, and Kitty reveals why she's been so nervous. In the dark of the night, one fugitive finds themselves with a knife to their throat, and can Finn help them before its too late? Finally, after leaving the city behind, the group descend into an old abandoned mine where one fugitive is lost to the murky depths of a crags, the group also startles a hoard of monstrosities and a surprise visitor arrives just in time._**

**_Read and Review pleasepleaseplease!_**


	11. Chapter 11

****_**Hey! So, I'm putting Mike into the story. But, I don't have enough plans for him that I can have him be a large part of the story, so when the team leaves Starryville, he's going to stay behind, because I really don't know how to fit him in and make him a good character after I've already gotten everybody some complete story lines. But he's there! So love me!**_

_** watch?v=avYxiIRG4xQ**_

_** watch?v=f7NENSbrSl4**_

_** watch?v=WLTI2rWAlV4**_

**Starryville**

Kurt Hummel groaned as he rolled out of bed and thunked on the floor next to it. He mumbled incoherently and grabbed for his blankets, attempting to curl back up to sleep.

"Hurry up!" His assistant yelled up to him.

Kurt groaned and stubbornly rolled his way over to the mirror. He groaned even louder, for his assistant's sake, as he stood up and looked at himself. She had light, unblemished pale skin, and a swoopy mop of perfectly coifed hair atop his head. He smiled at himself and arranged his hair so that it was presentable before he slumped down the stairs, making as much noise as possible so that his assistant knew just how much it annoyed him to be awake at such an early hour.

"Oh don't blame me." The Asian man said tiredly. "It's not my fault you're a guard."

"No, it's mine, Mike Chang." He groaned. "I knew I should've pretended not to be as awesome as I am."

His assistant laughed and Kurt cracked a smile and sat down as Mike poured him some coffee from the kettle. Kurt thanked him and took a sip, letting it sit for a moment before washing it down.

Without coffee, Kurt would no doubt fall asleep at his post, and then he wouldn't be surprised if the King found out and had him executed or something. He considered coffee to be his life saver in that regard.

"One day until Festival." Mike smiled at him, attempting to brighten his day.

It worked.

"Oh yeah!" Kurt beamed, practically vibrating with excitement. "One more sleep!"

"Yep!" The other man smiled, and then sighed. "How doesn't it depress you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Kurt stood up and walked towards the front door, his assistant stepping along behind him.

"Oh I don't know, only getting to see the sun once a year is kind of a downer." Mike drawled sarcastically.

Kurt sighed as he stepped outside onto the normally crowded streets of Starryville. Normally the city was filled with the 'different' citizens of the Kingdom, but no normal 'different' citizen got up before six in the morning.

"Well?" Mike asked expectantly.

"I don't know." Kurt shrugged.

He crossed to the dressing rooms set up for the Elite Guard just outside of the gates. "I guess I just think it's only temporary. One day there'll be equality for everybo-"

"Oh not your equality kick again..." Mike groaned and Kurt glared at him as he stepped inside, almost hitting Mike with the door.

"What's wrong with equality?" He demanded as he changed in private.

"Nothing! We're just not going to get it! We've all been stuck in this God-forsaken city since the old King died. We're different Kurt, and that means we don't get the same rights as normal people." Mike said spitefully.

"Hey!" Kurt snapped as he slipped his gear on, leather knee and elbow pads, and a leather chest guard. He grabbed his Imperial sword and set it in the scabbard, then slipped his Imperial shield over his shoulders. "We _are _normal people!"

"Not in the King's eyes." Mike said dryly.

Kurt rolled his eyes and stormed back out of the changing room, walking towards the gate and pausing at the bottom of the ladder.

"Our day will come. I'll get equality if it kills me." He said and began climbing.

"With that attitude, it will." Mike said. "Remember, you're performing tomorrow! So make sure you're at the Festival on time!"

"I always am." Kurt rolled his eyes again and looked out at the exit to Whitemist Forest.

He sighed to himself, time for another day, sitting atop the city walls, looking to keep away people that never came. Though...he was almost positive that Whitemist Forest had been looking different of late, almost like the mist had dispersed.

Kurt shook his head.

That didn't make any sense. That mist had been there longer than Kurt had been alive. He was probably just overtired.

* * *

Quinn frowned at Blaine as she looked up at the sky; the sun seemed to be slowly fading from view.

"The days feel like they're getting so much shorter." She complained.

"That's because they are." Mercedes frowned, looking up at the sky beside her. "That means we're getting closer..." She sighed.

"What do you mean?" Tina asked.

Mercedes sighed.

"It's kind of a long story, I'll tell you later."

The three girls moved forwards and Blaine stayed behind, looking up at the waning sun and smiling. He was in a good mood. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he'd been in a better mood! He'd had the best dream ever the night before, and it had inspired him to the point where he didn't feel like he had to worry about being loved anymore!

He looked ahead to find Rachel walking by herself beside Santana who was shamelessly attempting -and failing- to flirt with Brittney. Blaine grinned and walked up behind his sister, grabbing her by the waist and startling her.

"You're the worst." She laughed, slapping him away and falling back to walk beside him.

He grinned cheesily at her.

"Maybe." He said.

She shook her head and smiled at him.

"How are you?" She asked. "I feel like we haven't talked in forever!"

"We haven't!" He nodded. "So much other stuff has happened, first with Violetedge being torched, then the whole Santana thing, then back to Ostvale, Quinn dying, Tina and that witch. We haven't really had much time to just hang out, brother and sister, you know?"

"Yeah, we really haven't!" Rachel frowned.

"Quinn and I are official!" Blaine offered.

Quinn, hearing her name, turned and smiled broadly, thumbs up-ing.

"That's great!" Rachel burst out, staring at them both. "Though, I guess it shouldn't really be that surprising to me...I mean, you were almost eating one another's faces when you brought her back from the dead..."

"We were not!" Quinn called out, aghast. She turned back to her conversation with a huff.

"You so were." Rachel snickered to Blaine and he rolled his eyes and elbowed her.

"Well how about _your_ love life?" He asked quietly.

She turned to stare at him, wide-eyed.

"What love life? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Blaine Anderson!" She squeaked.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Blaine _Anderson_? Really? You're going to try and hide it from me? _Me?_" He asked.

Rachel deflated.

"You should go for it!" Blaine said. "Sam's a great guy! You deserve to have love in your life."

"I have-"

"From more than just me." Blaine laughed. "But seriously, what's the harm. We could die tomorrow, and then you'll never know what could've happened."

"What if what happens is bad?" Rachel hissed, a million awful scenarios steaming through her mind.

"Than at least you'll know."

Rachel fell silent and Blaine smiled at her, practically watching the wheels in her head turn. She sighed, clearly more confused than ever.

"Hey!" Blaine laughed, rubbing her arm and pulling her close to him. "I love you big sister." He grinned.

"I love you too little brother." She grinned and shook her head.

* * *

Tina looked pointedly at Finn as he attempted to bore a hole in the back of Kitty's head with his vision.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Trying to see through her skull, into her brain, and into her thoughts."

"And how's that going for you?"

"It will work I tell you!" He insisted.

Tina smacked him and he scowled, but stood upright.

Night had fallen long ago, but the moon did not appear to be going anywhere fast. Tina had contemplated this as they walked. She was an educated girl, but she saw no reason for the moon to stay perfectly still. Surely in the span of five hours its position would've shifted, at least slightly! It also felt like it had gotten dark far earlier than was normal...

"Stop worrying so much!" She snapped at Finn. "It's not like she's going to kill us all in our sleep!"

"I know..." Finn frowned. "I just have a bad feeling-"

"Hey!" A voice called out. "Stop right there!"

* * *

Kurt couldn't believe it. In all of his years working as a member of the Elite Guard, nothing exciting had happened. Like ever. Not since his friend had left him behind... though it wasn't like Kurt blamed her, he'd encouraged the escape.

Now, there were ten odd people in front of him. He didn't linger too long on any faces, but stared at the ones in the front, the clear leaders; a cute blonde haired boy, and a mousy looking girl with brown hair and daggers.

What was he supposed to do? Kurt had no idea, he knew that the King told him that she was supposed to turn any normal people away, for fear of intercultural contamination, but...this was exciting! He didn't want to let them go!

But if he was caught, he'd be killed, and then he'd be of no help to anybody in his fight for equality.

"You have to leave." Kurt sighed.

The brown haired girl stepped forwards, clearly with a sense of direction.

"We need to get through!" She said.

"Then you'll have to go around, I'm sorry." Kurt frowned.

The blonde boy stepped forwards, looking up at him.

"Why can't we just pass through?" He asked.

"Because you're white." Kurt said plainly, frowning.

The group of people looked around at one another, blinking in a stunned confusion.

"But you're white…" A lanky muscular boy said uncomfortably.

"Yeah, but I'm gay." He shrugged.

"Oh hell no!" A fiery looking Latina girl with half-swords stepped forwards, finger waved in preparation for sassiness.

"Kurt!" Another voice rang out.

He looked through the crowd, trying to place it. Slowly they all parted, stepping slowly away from a girl who had been hidden near the middle. A girl with darker skin. A girl who was all too familiar.

"Mercedes..." Kurt whispered.

It was her. It was his old friend, from so long ago! Kurt had been the main proponent of Mercedes's flight from Coal, and it had worked. When Mercedes left, Coal stopped returning to Starryville. In fact, he hadn't seen him since! He wasn't even sure he was still alive.

"Let them through." Mercedes said.

And he did.

* * *

"Kurt, I have to advise against this! This is strictly against the orders of the King! You could be killed if anybody were to find out!" Mike as he walked onwards.

Kurt ignored him as he stepped up the steps of his house. He opened the door and beckoned for the ten of them to walk through ahead of him. They all cast irritated glances at his assistant as he continued to ramble on, except for Tina, who looked at him with a peculiar expression.

"I'm in charge. I'm an Elite Guard member, and I say, you tell nobody. Besides, it's not as if anybody in this town is going to care. We have nothing against white people, just the King and his court. For all they know, most of them are gay, and the others are Latina, Black and Asian, so there."

"Yes but-" Whatever else the assistant was about to say was cut off as Kurt slammed the door in his face.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the wood, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He could almost feel Mike's voice grating against his skin. He meant well, but he was so _annoyingly logical_ sometimes.

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at the group assembled in front of him.

"I don't want to be rude, but what the hell is going on?" He snapped, overwhelmed. "Who are you people?"

Mercedes stepped forwards and looked around at the other nine.

"I'm Sam!" The tall, cuty blonde haired boy said, leaning against the table beside a pretty dark haired girl.

"Rachel." She said.

"I'm Blaine." A dark haired boy sitting cross-legged on the ground raised his hand.

"I'm Quinn." A girl with beautiful wavy blonde hair sitting next to him said primly.

"Tina." A smiling Asian waved lightly from the opposite side of the room.

"I!" The muscular one started. "Am Finn."

"I'm Brittney."

"Santana."

"I'm Kitty."

"And you already know me." Mercedes said.

"Nice to meet you all." Kurt smiled. "So what the _hell_ is going on?"

"Umm..." Mercedes smiled, almost guiltily. "We're all sort of a little bit on the run from the entire Imperial Army."

Kurt stared at her, open mouthed.

"Oh well if it's just a little bit." He said sarcastically. "How are you all-?"

"We _may_ be trying to dethrone him." Mercedes continued. "Quinn, Rachel and Blaine are all escaped prisoners. Finn's an illegal mage. Sam, Brittney, Santana and I all aided fugitives. Tina and Kitty really don't need to be here but..."

"The King's a fucking asshole." Kitty supplied.

"Yeah..." Mercedes shrugged in agreement.

Kurt slid to the ground. Not only had he just illegally let ten people into the city, eight of them were wanted criminals!

"That can't be the only reason." Kurt shook his head.

"The King is destroying the lives of innocent people." Rachel started. "It's because of him that Blaine and I have no real parents. Maybe they'd have been normal if they never worked for him. Maybe they never would've tried to sacrifice us to send a message to the rest of the Kingdom."

"He killed his own daughter!" Tina said. "And he cut off Fayhaven's main industry, sending the entire village into economic instability."

Kitty and Finn nodded in agreement.

"He steals children from their homes to discourage people rioting up against him." Quinn added. "Well, because of those actions, he's started a riot. We don't have a choice, somebody has to stop him!"

Kurt let all of this sink in. Not rejecting the idea; after all, he had always vowed to make a difference. Maybe this was the chance he'd been waiting for. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

"If the King is killed..." Mercedes started. "Light will return to Starryville. His magic, the spell, it would be lifted."

Kurt gasped and looked up.

That was true. He'd never thought about it but...the King's death would mean equality for everybody, and that was what he truly wanted, right?

But was he really willing to risk his life that openly? What chance did they have against the Imperial Army?

"You should join us." Sam stepped forward.

Kurt swallowed nervously.

"Stay here. At least until the Festival of Light is over tomorrow night. I'll come up with a decision by then, I promise."

* * *

"Mercedes?" Kurt knocked lightly on the door.

It swung in and he looked in at where Mercedes was looking around at her old room. It hadn't changed since she'd left; Kurt had refused to change it. Even if it was tacky and over-the-top with a terrible color pallet.

"Yeah?" Mercedes asked, sniffling slightly.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked.

"Fine!" She smiled and waved off her friend's concern. "Just...it's so sad to think of all he took from me."

"Well, look on the bright side..." Kurt smiled. "You'd never have met those guys if he hadn't!"

Mercedes smiled again and nodded.

"You're right." She said. "What did you want?"

"Could you go pick up some blankets from the general store? We don't have enough."

"Sure!"

* * *

_"One of these things is not like the other ones..." _Blaine sang awkwardly as Mercedes led him through town.

"I feel your pain bro." Sam said awkwardly.

Brittney nodded in agreement.

Blaine paused.

_"Three of these things are not like the-"_

"Stop it!" Mercedes laughed.

It was true; every single resident of Starryville stared at the three white people shamelessly. Mercedes had almost never seen a white person walking with a local in Starryville who wasn't Coal, and most citizens had been too scared of him to stare for too long. Most white passerbys who were let into the city just sped through to the other side, too afraid of the King's wrath to stick around for too long.

Kurt was white, but he was clearly gay, and the few other white males were just as clear. Gays who could pass as straight hadn't been caught by the King, so most lesbians had escaped this issue as well.

"Why did we have to come?" Blaine asked curiously.

"I need you to carry blankets!" Mercedes said.

"Liar. It's because you're in love with us." Sam said.

"That's true." Mercedes nodded. "I'm gonna marry all three of you, and we'll have beautiful blackish babies."

"You'll have to run that by Quinn, Santana and Rachel." Blaine laughed.

"Why?" Brittney asked, totally confused.

"No you won't." Sam said simultaneously.

"Guys, are you serious?" Mercedes stared at them like they were stupid before shaking her head and leading them into the store.

It took them a while to pick out blankets. Mercedes was surprised by how picky the others became when she gave them free reign. She was just getting ready to pay, when something stopped her short.

"Hello Mercedes."

Slowly, she turned to face the man who had haunted her nightmares for years. One by one the others turned with her.

"Coal..." Sam whispered.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"What was that?" Coal smiled coldly at her. "I couldn't quite catch i-"

"What are you doing here!" She yelled.

He blinked and took a step back. Blaine reached forwards and touched Mercedes's arm, not to hold her back, but to show her that she was among friends. Nothing was going to hurt her anymore. Least of all Coal.

"I...you belong to me!" Coal said.

"Excuse me?" Mercedes glared at him. "Boy, I am _tired_ of you thinking I'm your plaything. That's why I left you in the first place! I left everything I knew just to get away from you."

"You don't just leave me! Nobody leaves me!" Coal snapped.

"Come on Mercedes, let's go." Sam said, trying to avoid a showdown.

"No." Brittney stepped forwards, stepping between Coal and Mercedes. "Let her talk."

"You think any of these peasants can give you what I could. One isn't even a man! You don't love them. As hard as you try, you'll never be able to let me go! You're obsessed." He snapped; his words so sharp that Mercedes recoiled, staring at the ground.

"Hey! Shut up!" Brittney growled, stepping forwards.

"Was I talking to you?" Coal said coldly.

"Maybe you're right." Mercedes looked up, glaring at Coal. Brittney stepped out of the way, as if her vision could burn a hole right through her. "Maybe I'll never stop loving you, but I can still move on, and one day, I'll find true love. Somebody who deserves all the love I have to give, and who's willing to give it back times ten. That somebody isn't you, Coal."

She turned and began to walk towards the exit, the boys leading the way.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Kelly Clarkson: Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)**

"You're nothing without me!" Coal snarled after her.

Mercedes stopped.

_I'm nothing with you._ She realized.

_"You know the bed feels warmer..." _She sang softly. _"Sleepin' here alone."_

She felt the others slowly back away, giving her space.

_"You know I dream in color," _She nodded to herself._ "And do the things I want." _

She whipped around and glared at him.

_"You think you got the best of me. Think you've had the last laugh, bet you think that everything good is gone." _She tossed her head. _"Think you left me broken down. Think that I'd come running back. Baby you don't know me cause you're dead wrong."_

She put a hand on her hip, flipped her hair and began strutting to the beat, marching Coal backwards.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!" _He shoved at her and she ducked under it, shoving him back. _"What doesn't kill you makes a fighter! Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over, cause you're gone!"_

She turned away from him and smiled at her three friends, who smiled proudly at her.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" _She tossed a sassy look over her shoulder. _"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."_

Blaine stepped forwards and she skipped towards him.

_"You heard that I was starting over with someone new." _She crooned, pivoting into a dip from Blaine and smiling up at him.

_"They told you I was moving on, over you!" _She grinned as Sam pulled her hand and snapped her back to her feet, pressed tightly against him.

_"You didn't that I'd come back, I'd come back swingin'!" _She sang, stepping away and walking in a circle around Brittney. _"You tried to break me but you see-" _

She whipped her head back towards Coal, who was watching in shock.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!" _She started strutting towards him again and he cringed. _"What doesn't kill you makes a fighter! Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over, cause you're gone!"_

She stood strong in front of him this time, staring him in the face.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" _She took another step forwards and he stumbled backwards. _"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."_

She reached out and shoved him backwards.

_"Thanks to you I got a new thing started!"_

She shoved him again.

_ "Thanks to you I'm not the broken hearted!"_

She shoved him again.

_"Thanks to you I'm finally thinkin' bout me."_

She shoved him once more and he fell backwards, landing roughly on the floor.

_ "You know in the end, the day you left was just my beginning." _

She smiled pityingly down at him.

_"In the end..."_

She turned away and practically leapt out the doors of the store, grinning and belting out the rest of the song with the others laughing and cheering behind her, and village people belting out the background parts.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" _She belted as loudly as she could as she ran down the streets, leaping through the air with glee. _"What doesn't kill you makes a fighter! Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over, cause you're gone!"_

She'd done it! She'd shown Coal that she wasn't his to command.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!" _She looked back at the store and scoffed to find Coal standing in the doorway, trembling with rage. _"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."_

She knew in her heart that Coal wasn't going to give up their whereabouts. That would mean admitting that he'd lost. And oh, how he'd lost.

_"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself and I!"_ Mercedes smiled cheerily back at him just before turning the corner. He was out of sight, and out of her heart. _"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."_

As horribly as he had hurt her. She was stronger because of it.

_ "When I'm alone."_

* * *

Brittney yawned as he threw a blanket over one of the beds in Kurt's unusually large house. As a member of the Imperial Guard he'd scored one of the biggest plots of land in the 'Mutant City'. There were six bedrooms scattered about the house. Kurt had offered to bunk with Mercedes, and Sam had managed to score his own. Blaine and Quinn had decided not to room together, and he'd gone with Finn, while Quinn went to bunk with his sister instead. Kitty and Tina had taken another of the rooms, and Brittney had managed to wander her way into the last one available.

She heard somebody clear their throat and turned to find Santana leaning innocently against the doorframe, dressed for bed in a nightdress that barely went to her mid-thigh.

"Hey!" Brittney smiled cheerfully.

"Hey." She nodded back, voice low and gravelly. "All the other beds seem to be full." She smiled softly and batted her eyelashes. "And I'm just so tired...looks like I'll just have to sleep in here..."

She left the 'with you' unspoken in the air between them.

Brittney shrugged, not picking up on it at all.

"Oh alright! I'll go bunk with Sam!" She smiled warmly at her and walked out.

Santana groaned and fell back onto the bed, smacking herself in the face.

She really needed to step her game up. Or Brittney had to get less clueless. One or the other.

* * *

Kurt looked up at the sky as the thinnest hints of sunlight began to filter through the magic and into the city. The roof beneath her was cold, and uncomfortable, but he couldn't help but smile when she saw the sun in the distance.

Living in Starryville was a depressing way to live. He craved the sun; it was a symbol for him! A symbol of light, and hope! Every year he would crawl out onto the roof and watch the sun climb over the horizon, bathing the town in a new light.

He hated the King for what he'd done to them.

It was this hatred that made him pause and wonder about Sam's invitation.

Kurt sighed, frowning and leaning back. He heard the sound of a window opening and turned to find Mercedes clambering out onto the roof with a smile on her face that could melt ice with its warmth.

"I thought I'd find you here." Mercedes smiled, edging down the slope until she was resting near Kurt, looking out at the sun. "You always came out here to watch the sun."

"What's it like, seeing it shining every day?" Kurt asked, turning his head to look at his friend.

Mercedes considered this. The first day she left Starryville, the sun had filled her with such promise, such hope and belief that she was doing the right thing. After that, its significance had faded, for a while.

When Sam and Quinn arrived in Violetedge, and started telling her that the Crystals of Hope had lit up, she had looked at light in a different way. She considered it the embodiment of hope. As long as the sun still shone, there was still a world to protect, somewhere. There would always be shadows lurking in the darkness, but after every night there was a day. That was something she wouldn't ever take for granted.

"Inspiring." She finally decided.

Kurt sighed wistfully.

"You can see it, you know." Mercedes smiled at him.

"I'm seeing it now." Kurt said defensively.

Mercedes looked at him pointedly and Kurt sighed.

"It's almost certain death." Kurt said.

Mercedes shrugged.

"Maybe. But you're a soldier. You fight for a cause, right?" She asked. Kurt nodded. "Well than join us, fight for the people in Ostvale who have to live like criminals all because some innocent people got caught up in an ugly situation. Fight for the people who lost their homes in Violetedge because the King didn't care enough to properly search the area. Fight for the Fayhaven people who have no economic stability. Fight for the people from Starryville who only want equality."

_Equality... _Kurt sighed and leaned back. That was what he wanted more than anything. Equality for him and his people. It wasn't fair that one man and his court stood in the way of that! People deserved the same basic human rights regardless of skin color, or gender, or background! There was no such thing as a perfect person, so it was useless for the King to shun all those who didn't meet the standards of his court.

Kurt set his jaw and nodded.

"I'll do it."

Somebody had to bring the King down, if not for him than for all the people of Starryville, and the rest of the Kingdom beyond that.

Mercedes smiled at him.

"I knew you couldn't resist."

Kurt laughed and nodded.

There was a lot of overdue ass kicking he had to make up for.

* * *

**The Festival Of Light**

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kurt paused dramatically at his front door, hand on the knob. The group before him all snickered slightly at his dramatics. "The Festival of Light!"

He opened his door and they all gasped.

"Holy shit..." Finn stepped out first, into the town plaza.

The town, in the daylight, was beautiful. The sun glinted off of onyx roofs and cherry wood. The people of Starryville gave off such joy that they couldn't help but smile. The sun itself may have been commonplace to them, but witnessing such joy at something so simple was not.

Kurt watched as the others filtered through the door, gasping in awe at his city. Mercedes smiled at him as she passed and Sam nodded as well. Kurt followed him out and closed the door as he passed.

"This is the town center!" Kurt said. "Starryville is a pretty lively place anyways, but the people _really_ come alive during the Festival!" He smiled.

He began leading them forwards into the town, pointing out a few people or places here and there. After a while, they all lapsed into a contented silence and he found himself walking next to Sam.

"I'll join you." He said.

Sam looked down at him as if he'd known that she would come around. He probably had known actually.

"You will?" He asked.

Kurt nodded.

"Great!" Sam clapped him on the back. "Happy to have you aboard!"

"This way, everyday can be this great!" Kurt smiled looking around. "As long as you allow it. And if it isn't, maybe the next one will be!"

Sam chuckled, legitimately touched by his optimism.

"I'm tired of being oppressed anyways." Kurt smiled.

He and Sam both looked around as several passing townspeople chimed in.

"I feel that!"

"Preach!"

"Yes! Finally!"

"About time somebody trounced that asshole."

Kurt laughed. "My people seem to agree with me."

There was an impatient huffing noise from nearby and the group turned to find Mike Chang looking frustrated.

"Oh!" Kurt jumped. "I totally forgot! I have to go to the stage now, you guys feel free to look around! The Starryville people are friendly I promise! They don't bite! Well...only a little."

He ran off into the crowd, with Mike struggling to keep up.

Meanwhile, Santana was watching Brittney intently. She had a plan, and perhaps it was time to act it out. Step one of her plan, was to get Brittney to a cheerful, cut-loose environment where they could both loosen up and forget that they were fugitives for a while.

She looked around, scanning the storefronts and jumped when she spotted a bar with a loudly painted sign proclaiming it the Dark Horse's Bar.

"Hey! Brittney! Come with me!" She grabbed the other girl's arm and began hauling her away.

"Alright." Brittney smiled a smile so friendly that Santana wanted to punch her in the face. "Why?"

"Cause...I...Never mind why!"

"Think she'll finally clue in?" Blaine asked aloud as Brittney and Santana vanished.

"I doubt it." Sam shrugged.

"Girl's kinda clueless." Mercedes agreed. She shook her head and turned around. "If anybody wants, I can be a tour guide!"

"Oh!" Tina perked up. "Okay!"

She skipped over to the dark-skinned girl and turned to look back at the others. Finn was watching Kitty so intently that Tina was pretty sure he might bore holes in the side of her head.

Sighing in exasperation, she leaned over to Quinn and told her to entertain Kitty while Tina kept Finn from jumping her until he forced a real-talk out of her. Quinn nodded, laughing and Tina reached out for Finn's arm.

"Come on Finn, join us!" She smiled and began to follow Mercedes off into the crowd. When they were far enough away, she leaned in again. "Calm down and enjoy the day. You can talk to her tonight, but don't ruin this festival for yourself."

* * *

Kitty watched as the other three left and looked around at Sam, Rachel, Quinn and Blaine. She frowned, slightly uncomfortable to be away from Finn, who was her only real link to this group. But Rachel had shown her a lot of kindness, and so had Sam! She still didn't know why, really, but they had...

"Kitty!" Quinn yelled for the third time and she jumped, startled out of her thought process.

"You wanna come bet on how long it takes Brittney to figure out Santana's into her?" Blaine asked toothily.

"You guys, really?" Rachel asked.

"Yep." Quinn nodded.

"It's funny!" Blaine laughed and the couple reached out for Kitty's hands, pulling her along with them.

As they passed, Blaine leaned in to whisper in his sister's ear.

"Go for it!" He hissed. "You only live once!"

"Tell that to Quinn." Rachel hissed back.

She sighed, scowling as Blaine, Quinn and Kitty walked away. She looked up to find Sam looking at her peculiarly.

"Tell what to Quinn?"

"...That her...hair...is...pretty." Rachel stammered.

"Ah...yeah, it is pretty." He agreed, though it was clear he didn't believe Rachel's lie. "I guess we're on our own then."

"I guess so." Rachel nodded.

"Alright everybody!" Kurt yelled suddenly from the stage and Rachel and Sam turned to face him. "I'm gonna kick off this festival with a slower song about feelin' good, so pair up and have a good time! It's gonna be a great day!"

_Pair up and have a good time..._

_ Pair up..._

_ Pair up!?_

Rachel and Sam both froze.

* * *

"You have to wait for the right moment!" Tina finished and Finn nodded, though it was clear that he was still confused.

"How will I know when the right moment is?"

"It'll come." Tina promised him.

"-and that's where the creepy flasher guy lives so we'll go down this side street because really, nobody needs to see that." Mercedes continued on with her tour that neither Finn nor Tina were really paying attention to.

"What if I miss it?" Finn asked and Tina groaned and looked away.

"You won't!" She insisted, letting her eyes wander over the stalls. "Oh..."

She stopped short and Mercedes turned around, looking at her curiously.

"What?"

"That's just...that's such a pretty cross!" Tina stepped forwards towards a jewellery storefront set up in the shade of the bazaar. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." She said absently as she approached.

Finn shrugged and Mercedes hesitantly led him away into the crowd.

Tina smiled softly as she looked at the beautiful silver cross necklace set up on a wooden podium. There was a ribbon made of sapphire carved around the cross itself, glinting in the light that pierced through a small rip in the awning overhead.

She looked around at the other jewels for a moment, taking in everything from bracelets to hair pieces to engagement rings all over the stall. None of them drew her eye as much as the silver cross with the sapphire ribbon.

"You!" An old woman called out and Tina squeaked in surprise as a withered dark skinned woman stepped out of the shade. Tina hadn't seen her as she approached the stand, too focused on the cross to pay much attention to anything else. "You have it!"

"Umm...not yet! But I'd like to buy it, how much?" Tina reached around for the opening in her bag and began to fish through for some silver coins.

"No, not the cross." The woman said. "The ability!"

Tina paused, hand still half stuck in her bag.

"...What ability?"

"The ability I've been waiting for! I can see it!" The old woman said. "I'll tell you what, you can have that cross for free if you accept a small gift from me."

"Umm...okay?" Tina was so confused, she looked from side to side but neither Mercedes nor Finn were anywhere in sight.

"Providence!" The old woman cheered before hurrying into her shop and bustling around for a few minutes. She came out again covered in dust, with a book in her hands that looked even older and more brittle than the woman herself.

The woman handed it to Tina and then grabbed the cross necklace, walking out from behind the stall and behind her. The woman draped the necklace across Tina's chest and clasped it in the back.

"This necklace is supposed to help the user harness their manna." She said.

"Manna?" Tina was totally rattled at this point.

"You'll learn as you go." The old lady said. She smiled, turned and walked back into the building behind her. "Goodbye child!"

Tina shook her head and looked down at the book in her hands. Two words were carved elegantly into the thick cover.

"White Magic...?"

Shaking her head, she slipped it in her bag and turned to find her way back to town square.

* * *

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Michael Buble: Feeling Good-**

_"Birds flying high..." _Kurt sang, close her eyes and letting the music sink into his body. _"You know how I feel..."_

Rachel swallowed nervously.

_"Sun in the sky." _Kurt opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, smiling brightly. _"You know how I feel..."_

Sam took a deep breath.

_"Breeze driftin' on by...You know how I feel."_

Sam stepped forwards.

_"It's a new dawn." _

He offered his hand.

_"It's a new day."_

Rachel accepted it.

_"It's a new life..."_

He pulled her in.

_"For me... And I'm feelin' good." _Kurt smiled and began to groove to the music as more instruments jumped in. Rachel and Sam slowly began to sway as well. _"I'm feelin' good."_

Rachel felt her heart begin to race as she looked up into Sam's face.

_"Fish in the sea, you know how I feel." _Kurt nodded and smiled as he looked out at the dancing couples. _"River running free, you know how I feel...Blossom on the tree! You know how I feel. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me... and I'm feelin' good."_

Sam couldn't deny it, dancing with Rachel made his pulse quicken, and his face felt hot. He looked down and found her looking at him and his breath caught in his throat.

_"Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean don't you know! Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean!" _Kurt sang, getting even more into the song. _"Sleep and peace when day is done, that's what I mean. And this old world, is a new world and a bold world for me!" _

Rachel felt her mouth go dry.

_"For me!" _

All of her doubts felt like they were flying out of her mind as she looked up into Sam's eyes. She saw undeniable love looking back at her. She could barely hear Kurt's singing over the beating of her own heart. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

Sam was so lost in the moment that he was almost positive that if Rachel let go, he would fall to the ground. When he looked in her eyes, he saw how much she wanted him back, and that was all the indication he needed.

_"Stars when you shine, you know how I feel!"_

Sam reached down and tilted Rachel's chin up.

_ " Scent of the pine, you know how I feel!" _Kurt belted, nodding fiercely and raising his hands into the air. _ "Oh freedom is mine! And I know how I feel! It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life!" _

Rachel gulped nervously.

_ "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life!" _

Slowly, Sam began pulling her towards him.

_ "It's a new dawn! It's a new day! It's a new life! It's a new life, for me!" _Kurt wailed._ "And I'm feelin' good..."_

Rachel paused just as their lips were about to touch.

_ "I'm feelin' good..." _

Rachel shook her head and pulled away, covering her mouth with her hand.

_ "I feel so good..." _

Sam sighed and covered his eyes in embarrassment.

_ "I feel so good..."_

As the music faded away, Sam and Rachel looked at one another with almost tangible awkwardness lingering in the air between them.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" He started, but Rachel shook her head.

"I love you." She said quickly, because she knew that if she took time to debate saying it, she'd never say it. "I've loved you since I tripped over that rake in Santana's barn and you caught me. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now."

"Then-"

"No." Rachel shook her head. "Let me finish."

"Okay."

"I love you, but I don't want to have to worry about you every time I'm running for my life, which is often! I already worry more than I should, but if we become something, then I'll never be able to go on if something were to happen to you!"

"Nothing will happen-"

"You don't know that." She shook her head. "I've lost so much in my life already, and I don't want to let you in just to have you ripped away again! We're going into battle Sam, and we all know that we could die. Any one of us! The stronger my feelings are, the less I'll be able to keep living if _you_ die."

She fell silent and he sighed, but nodded.

"I see where you're coming from. If the idea of the two of us worries you that much, than you don't have to think about it. At least not yet, alright?" He asked. She opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off. "And I love you too..."

Rachel closed her eyes and sighed.

"Thank you." She said.

"Here, let's go find the others." He turned and walked off into the crowd, Rachel trailing close behind her, both possibly even more confused than they'd been when they began. All of the information was out there...and now they just had to figure out what to do with it.

Slowly, Tina crept out of the crowd behind them, practically squealing at the cute, flustered situation. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she watched Sam and Rachel walk off. She'd seen the whole thing, and she was not about to let her knowledge go to waste. Maybe neither of them knew what had to be done, but Tina had an idea, and Tina, being Tina, had a plan!

* * *

Blaine sipped casually from his glass as he, Quinn and Kitty sat at the bar watching Santana attempt to seduce Brittney.

"Wait..." Brittney started. "If I fell from heaven, wouldn't I have had to die? If I were already dead, why would it have hurt when I fell from heaven? Let's ask Quinn!"

"No Brittney..." Santana slumped forwards, banging her head on the table that they were sitting at. "Just...never mind."

Blaine held out his hand and Quinn scowled as she fished another copper coin out of her bag to hand over.

"That makes twelve." He said.

They all looked to the door as Mercedes and Finn walked in.

"Where's Tina?" Santana asked.

"She went to find Sam and Rachel." Mercedes answered.

As if on cue, Sam and Rachel stepped through the doors. Blaine and Quinn looked to one another, set their drinks on the counter and practically leapt off of their stools on the way to the twosome.

Blaine grabbed Rachel's arm and pulled her to one side of the room while Quinn dragged Sam off to the other side.

"You two are so subtle." Sam said sarcastically to Quinn.

"See, because I'm drunk, I don't have to be subtle." Quinn said seriously.

"I see your logic." Sam said flatly.

"Thanks!" Quinn smiled. "So how'd it go?"

Tina walked into the bar as Sam began to explain. The preacher's daughter looked around, taking in Kitty observing everybody from the bar, Blaine looking disappointedly at his sister, Santana banging her head against the table with Brittney, Mercedes and Finn ordering drinks, and finally, Sam talking to a very dissatisfied looking Quinn.

"Sam!" Tina called out.

He turned, looking relieved for the interruption. If he was looking for a reprieve from talking about Rachel, he was going to be quite disappointed.

"Can I talk to you outside?" She asked.

"Sure!" Sam nodded and the pair made a hasty escape.

Quinn scowled and stomped back over to Kitty, sitting down next to her and folding her arms.

"I take it Sam and Rachel are not a thing?"

"Why can't anybody see how great it is to have somebody to love?" Quinn slurred.

"Like you and Blaine?"

"I mean, his love brought me back from the dead? Why wouldn't you want something like that in your life?"

Kitty looked over at Santana and Brittney, then to Rachel.

"Well, maybe they do, but they're just scared. Maybe they're scared to trust somebody that much, to let them in. It's just like friendship, sometimes it's hard to know who to trust, and who is lying to you just so you go along with their plan!" Kitty frowned.

Quinn also frowned.

"I don't really follow...Are you alright?" Quinn asked, scooting closer. "Here, talk to me, I'm secretly sober."

She promptly fell off the stool.

"Mmhmm..." Kitty nodded doubtfully.

"Ah!" Santana screamed. "I don't mean that I'm actually planning to rearrange the alphabet! I was trying to...agh! You know what? It's time for my last resort!"

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Nicki Minaj: Turn Me On-**

Santana stood up and stormed away from the table and onto the stage, shoving chairs that were set up for a string band out of the way. The instrumentalists scattered and Santana whipped around, staring directly at Brittney as the others turned to watch in disbelief.

_"Doctor doctor need you bad, hold me babe." _She sang, center stage, feet planted._ "Doctor doctor where you at? Gimme something. I need your love, I need your love, I need your lovin', you got that kinda medicine that keeps me comin'!" _

Santana extended her arms and caught Brittney's eye, trying to finally convey her attraction. Mercedes jumped up and led the others in clapping to the beat and Brittney looked around, bewildered.

_"My body needs a hero, come and save me! Somethin' tells me you know how to save me!" _Santana lowered her eyes and began tapping her foot. _"I been feelin' real low, oh I need you to come and rescue me!"_

As she oohed, Santana closed her eyes and folded in on herself.

_"Make me come alive! Come on and turn me on!" _She snapped her eyes forwards and began bobbing sharply to the beat. _"Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on! I'm too young to die come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"_

She leapt forwards and strutted towards the front of the stage, flipping her hair.

_"Make me come alive, come on and turn me on!" _She reached the end of the stage and leapt forwards onto their table. _"Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on! I'm too young to die, come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!" _

Brittney looked up at her, eyes widened as Santana grabbed her shirt and pulled her onto the table with her and slowly began circling her.

_"Girl I'm achin', make it right! My temperature is super high! If I scream, if I cry...it's only cause I feel alive!" _

Santana stopped in front of her and looked at her through lidded eyes.

_"My body needs a hero, come and save me! Somethin' tells me you know how to save me!" _Santana shrugged and looked at her bashfully. _"I been feelin' real low, oh I need you to come and rescue me!"_

As she oohed, Santana raised her hands to Brittney's chest. As soon as the music picked up she shoved her off the table and turned, jumping back onto the stage.

_"Make me come alive! Come on and turn me on!" _She popped her chest and then whipped her hair and Mercedes whooped loudly, Rachel and Blaine followed suit. _"Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on! I'm too young to die come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!"_

She strutted back to the front of the stage, snapping sassily and leaning down to get in Brittney's face.

_"Make me come alive, come on and turn me on!" _She grabbed her and pulled her onto the stage and spun out and then into a dip. _"Touch me, save my life, come on and turn me on!"_

Santana popped her up again and turned to back Brittney up again to the front of the stage. Brittney stumbled and fell onto the ground.

_ "I'm too young to die, come on and turn me on! Turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!" _

Santana knelt down to her level and grabbed her hand as the music softened.

_"You've got my life in the palm of your hand." _She sang honestly. _"Come and save me now, I know you can."_

She stood up again and took to the center of stage as the others cheered loudly.

"D-d-d-don't let me die young, I just want you to fatha my young! I just want you to be my docta, we can get it crackin' chiropractor, I-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i _I know you can save me...and make me feel alive!" _She broke back into the chorus and the entire bar began jumping along to the high energy song, except for Brittney who sat on the floor looking overwhelmed.

_"Make me come alive, come on and turn me on! Touch me, save my life, come and turn me on!" _She grabbed Brittney, pulled her to her feet and pulled her close, looking at her insistently, moving almost close enough to kiss her. _"I'm too young to die, come on and turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on, turn me on!" _

The music faded out and Santana whipped sweat from her face and turned, storming away from Brittney, blowing kisses to the others as they led the crowd in a huge round of applause.

"So..." Mercedes sidled up next to Brittney as she watched her go. "That was pretty good...eh?"

"Yeah..." Brittney said absently. "You know, I'm beginning to suspect that she might have some sort of feelings for me."

Quinn cheered loudly from off to the side and Blaine grumbled as he fished coins out of his pocket to hand back to her.

"And?" Mercedes pulled Brittney's attention back to the situation at hand.

"I think I might have feelings for her too..." He said.

"Finally!" Mercedes cheered.

* * *

"Tina, where are we going?" Sam called out, struggling to keep up with her through the crowd of people.

"You'll see!" She yelled back.

He shook his head and scrambled past a large group of excited teenagers who clapped him on the back and told him they respected him sticking up to the man and coming to visit. He turned to thank them and promptly ran directly into Tina.

"Oh! Sorry!" He said, startled.

"We're here!" She smiled and gestured to a small jeweller's storefront.

Sam approached it slowly with a look of blatant confusion.

"You wanted to talk to me about jewellery? I don't know anything about jewellery."

"Do you know what these are for?" Tina asked casually, pointing to the engagement rings.

Sam looked at them and then back to Tina like she was stupid.

"I know what an engagement ring does Tina, why are we looking at them?"

"Well, I know it's still early, but I doubt there are any other jewellers between Starryville and Ironmount Point so...I thought we could buy one here."

Sam frowned and his eyebrows creased. He raised his hands and looked very uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Look, I like you Tina...but, we're just friends!"

Tina sighed and shook her head, looking like she wanted to hit him.

"The ring is for Rachel."

Again, Sam frowned.

"I don't know that you're her type..."

This time Tina actually did hit him.

"It's for _you _to _give_ to Rachel_!_" She spelled it out slowly. "When the time is right, I mean!"

Sam hastily shook his head and backed up.

"She's not interested in a relationship right now." He said quickly.

"And you're stupid if you believe that. I saw everything Sam, she wants a relationship, she's just scared of having one." She reached out and grabbed one of the rings from the table. "Trust me!"

"I...I don't have the money to waste on a ring!" He said.

"Then I'll buy it. My treat!" She turned and handed her money to the vendor, who was different from the woman who had been there earlier.

"No, Ti-"

"Stop it!" Tina shook her head and pressed the ring into his hands. "Sometimes you just have to have a little faith."

* * *

Kitty looked at the ceiling of the room she was sharing with Tina, tracing lines in the cracks in the moulding with her eyes. The night played back in her mind like holograms moving about in front of her. There had been so many smiles, so much laughter, so much joy. Being a part of it...she hadn't been a part of something so happy, so pleasant, since her brother had vanished into the fog.

Her brother...

He was the variable. The other factor. She wanted to trust in these people, but she had to look out for herself and her brother first! Family was important to her, and if there was anybody in the Kingdom that Kitty loved, it was Puck.

She sighed and tossed the covers off of her, gently standing up so as not to awaken Tina who was sleeping peacefully on the other side of the bed.

Kitty grabbed her locket from the bedside table and held it tight in her fist as she crept out of the room, slowly closing the door behind her. She stepped down the hallway, freezing when a board creaked too loudly for her liking.

* * *

Finn looked up from his bed as a loud creak echoed through the house.

He couldn't sleep, he was positive that there was something going on with Kitty, and he kept waiting for the right time to present itself, but it never did! Or, maybe he'd already missed it, in which case, he wondered if there was another right time, like how there were two one o'clocks everyday.

Slowly he got out of bed, freezing as Blaine tossed slightly, readjusting his position. Finn looked to the door and watched silently through the crack as Kitty crept past his and Blaine's room.

Setting his jaw stubbornly he stepped out and followed along behind her. This was the right time, he decided, and this time there was nobody to stop him.

* * *

Kitty reached the kitchen and deemed herself safe as she sat down in one of the chairs. She set the locket down on the table and took a deep breath before flicking it open.

_"What the fuck?" _Riker hissed out at her from a magic mirror inside the pendant.

Kitty thought she heard a gasp and whipped around, but Finn ducked back inside the hallway before she spotted him.

"Shh!" Kitty whispered, pleadingly. "They're all sleeping!"

_"Where the fuck did you go?" _Riker snapped. _"Do you know how stupid you made me look? I brought half of the fucking Imperial Army to Fayhaven because you told me there were fugitives there! You know who we found? Abso-fucking-lutely nobody!"_

"I-I'm sorry!" Kitty whispered. "They escaped! I followed them for you! We're in Starryville now and...I..."

_"You what?" _Riker growled.

"I'm starting to feel bad about lying to them...they're all so nice and-"

_"I didn't save your pitiful ass just to be betrayed!" _Riker snarled and Kitty winced. _"They are fugitives for a reason, and as a member of my army, it's your job to hunt them down!"_

"But...they-"

_"Listen here you little coward. If you want to be reunited with your brother, you'll stay true to the crown."_

"They said that they would reunite me with him..." She said feebly.

_"They won't be able to protect you against the Imperial Army though will they? So what? You find your brother and then you both become fugitives, then you're all hunted down and killed. What a good idea! What a good, selfish, ignorant idea. You backstab me, I won't hesitate to stab you right back."_

"Fine!" Kitty yelled, and then immediately looked around worriedly before lowering her voice to a teary whisper. "Fine...what do I need to do?"

_"Good girl. Now I can't enter Starryville, the King doesn't want his best swordsman contaminated by lesser races." _Riker smiled evilly through the mirror. _"So you, to prove your allegiance to me, are to kill one of them. Right now."_

Kitty gasped.

"But that's not ri-"

_"This is war; right and wrong don't matter here. Do you want to see your brother again or not? Because I can personally guarantee you'll never see him again if you turn from me!"_

Kitty took a deep breath, blinking back tears. Finally she nodded and grabbed her dagger.

"Who?" She asked, so quietly, so pitifully, that she barely made any noise at all.

Riker smiled sinisterly through the glass.

_"Mercedes." _He spat.

She nodded and moved to close the locket.

_"No!" _He yelled. _"I want to watch."_

Kitty closed her eyes in resignation and picked up the locket, setting it around her neck so that Riker could see where they were going.

She stepped back into the hallway, but this time, the journey seemed much longer. She knew that she wouldn't be coming back from this. Once the deed was done, she would not be accepted anymore. She didn't even know how she would live with _herself_...

_For Puck..._

She reminded herself of her brother. She had to do this to make sure that the two of them were kept safe!

Before she knew it, she'd travelled all the way through the house and was standing beside Kurt and Mercedes's bed, looking down at the two of them as they slept. Kitty felt tears dripping down her face as she looked at them, so peaceful and content looking in their sleep.

She closed her eyes; she couldn't watch herself as she raised the dagger into the air.

_"Now!" _Riker hissed, and Kitty's dagger plummeted down towards the sleeping girl.

It stopped short as Finn's hand closed around her wrist.

_"What?" _Riker yelled. _"No!" _

Finn turned Kitty around and looked at her harder than he'd ever looked at anybody. She was a wreck. Sobbing, afraid, devastated, alone. He put one hand on her back and pushed her out of the room and into the hallway, away from the sleeping friends.

Kitty looked at Mercedes one last time before Finn closed the door, and the thought of how close she had come to killing the older girl was unbearable. Kitty doubled over and threw up, she was so disgusted with herself. She felt sick, like she shouldn't even exist anymore.

"What are you doing?" Finn asked.

Kitty shook her head and looked back towards Mercedes.

"I had to! I have to!"

"No you don't." Finn said. "Not if you don't want to. You're a good person, I know that!"

_"He doesn't know what he's talking about! Kill him, and then get back in there!" _Riker yelled, but both Finn and Kitty ignored him.

"How can you say that?" Kitty asked. "That I'm a good person when I just tried to kill a girl that hasn't done anything wrong."

"I remember. I remember you, and I remember Puck." Finn said. "Puck ran from the King, Kitty, how would he feel knowing you were working for him?"

"But it's to keep him safe!"

"Puck would rather die than be a part of something he opposes so strongly, you know that."

"I...You're right..." Kitty whispered. "I'm so sorry..." And she meant it. She was so sorry. So sorry that she'd ever listened to Riker, that she'd let him verbally abuse and control her, that she'd betrayed good people for selfish reasons, and for so much more.

"Stay with us." Finn said.

She looked up, concern etched on her face.

"What?"

"Stay with us." He repeated. "Help us fight the King, help us find your brother, help us fix this Kingdom!"

Kitty sniffled and shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't understand why you're so nice to me!"

"For the same reason that everybody else is. You deserve it. We all know that, and I know that the you that I saw in there, is not the real you. Stay with us, be true to yourself, know who you really are. You always were a smart person, now prove it."

_"Knowledge has nothing to do with this!" _Riker yelled. _"You turn your back on an army, you become a criminal!" _

"You're wrong." Finn said, finally addressing him. "Knowledge has everything to do with this."

"Nobody will want me around, not now. I tried to kill somebody."

"No you didn't. That wasn't you in there, that was Riker. Nobody needs to know about any of this, I still trust you completely, maybe even more now than I did before." Finn said seriously, looking into her eyes. "Now close the locket."

Kitty nodded and reached for the latch.

_"One day, this little resistance will fall apart!" _Riker yelled, panicking. _"When that day comes, you'll be begging me to save you!"_

Kitty clicked it shut.

"Thank you." Finn smiled.

"Thank _you_." Kitty reached out to hug him.

"How did you get involved with Riker anyways?" Finn asked, pulling away.

Kitty sighed and closed her eyes, losing herself in the memory.

"It was the night of the Footloose dance. I couldn't find you or Puck anywhere, so I went home to look there but my parents hadn't seen either of you. The soldiers broke in and my parents told me to hide in the barn so I did..." She took a shuddering breath and Finn felt a sense of dread as she continued. "I could hear their screams even when I tried to plug my ears."

"Oh Kitty!" Finn pulled her closer as she began to sob.

"They found me. They were going to kill me too, but Riker stopped them. He said-he-he said that if I helped him, and kept an eye out for any fugitives, than my brother and I would have the King's protection..." She took a rattling breath and began to beat against Finn's chest. "I'm so, so, sorry! I'm so dumb!"

"No! Hey!" Finn shook his head. "You're not dumb! You did what you had to to protect your family! But you don't have to listen to him anymore; we'll protect you _and _Puck!"

Kitty sniffled but nodded.

"Okay..." She whispered and then smiled at him. "You really are a sincere friend Finn..."

"And you're smarter than he gives you credit." He laughed. "I always knew you'd come around."

* * *

**Where Monsters Dwell**

_The first thing Sam realized when his eyes snapped open was that something was digging into his back. _

_ He groaned and sat up, running his hand through his hair. He turned around and blinked in confusion. Lying on the ground was Kitty's locket, blackened with soot and splattered with blood. _

_ With a shaky hand, Sam reached down and picked it up, holding it gently. _

_ "Sad isn't it?" _

_ Sam turned around and found himself face to face with...himself?_

_ The other Sam smiled bitterly, sitting atop the trunk of a tree that had been destroyed. _

_ "Who are you?" Sam asked, holding the locket protectively in his hands._

_ "Call me Thought." The other version of himself said. "You've been ignoring me for a while now."_

_ "Where am I?" Sam asked, looking around. _

_ "You don't recognize it?"_

_ No... Sam recognized it. They were atop a massive hill, looking out over the burned remains of a once grand forest. In the distance, Sam could make out the ruins of his hometown. He'd sat on this same hill once before, it was where he'd first been compared to his father. Where he'd sat with Bruce, and with Quinn, and thought about life as it now appeared._

_ "Why am I here?" He asked. _

_ Thought looked up at him and rolled his eyes, leaning casually against the stump of the once great tree. _

_ "This isn't like your other dreams. You haven't saved anybody Sam."_

_ For whatever reason, that stung so harshly that Sam took a step back. _

_ "You've been looking at this world through rose coloured glasses Sam. Tell me what you've done to save anybody. "Thought looked at him with bored eyes, like he knew Sam's answer wasn't worth his time._

_ "I...I'm working on saving the entire Kingdom!" Sam said pointedly, pointing into the distance where he knew the castle still was._

_ "And how are you planning on doing that?" Thought said judgementally. He was intentionally leading Sam into the darkest parts of his own subconscious._

_ "I'm planning on fighting." Sam insisted, tightening his fist around the blood covered locket. _

_ "Tell me Sam, how can you possibly defeat the King?" Thought asked, standing up and reaching towards the base of the tree, the place where Sam had first found his Cupid's Rose. There, planted in the same spot, was a blackened, sickening looking flower._

_ Sam didn't answer, he pursed his lips and swallowed hard._

_ Thought reached down and plucked the flower, casually plucking off the petals, one after another._

_ "You can't!" Thought cried, tossing another petal over his shoulder. "Your father trained for his entire life to be a Warrior! The kind of person who might be able to stand up to a King and win! You fell into the life of a fugitive by accident after a bit of Blacksmith training. You think that makes you strong enough? You are destined to lose Sam! You'll die! _This _is the future you've set out for yourself!"_

_ He threw his hands out, throwing the rose. _

_ As Sam watched it fall, he saw flashing images of people that he knew; Santana, limping, foot shattered beyond repair. Finn falling to his knees, and then to his chest in the dirt, eyes closing slowly. Brittney laying on the ground, surrounded by shattered glass in a pool of blood. _

_ The rose hit the ground and Sam found himself standing in the middle of an enormous graveyard. He looked down at the grave in front of him and gasped, dropping to his hands and knees to claw at the inscription. _

_ The writing was faded, worn from time, but Rachel's name was evident even then. _

_ "This can't be the future!" Sam whimpered. "The future can change!" _

_ "Who are you to change it?" Sam's cruel doppelganger asked, sitting casually atop a tombstone with Tina's name scrawled across the top. _

_ "I...I have to!" Sam whispered. _

_ "You can't come out of this battle alive Sam. You're leading an army of the damned. Quinn, Blaine, Mercedes, all of them. Once you fall to the King, nobody will stand in his way. They'll be executed, one after another. Those that escape initially will be on the run forever, but they won't have numbers on their side, and they _will_ be caught. You brought them into this, and now there's no way out." Thought snapped and reached into his pocket. _

_ Sam felt his heart race, he couldn't stop staring at Rachel's name on the tombstone in front of him. His throat felt tight and he felt dizzy. _

_ "Why are you telling me all of this?" He asked. _

_ Thought smiled slowly as he drew the note from Sam's parents out of his pocket. _

_ "You tell me. After all, I'm _your _thoughts. You've just been blocking me out. You can't go through life naively telling yourself that everything will be okay. News flash Sam, it won't be." _

_ Sam's thoughts snapped his fingers and the note began to burn._

_ "No!" Sam screamed, leaping to his feet and scrambling forwards. "No!"_

"No!" Sam snapped up in bed, arms outstretched to grab the burning paper.

He didn't stop to think, he jumped out from under the covers and scrambled for his pants, digging through the pocket as frantically as he could, hyperventilating with fear. His fingers closed around the familiar worn paper of his parents' note and he felt his breath slow.

"Sam?" Brittney was at the door instantly, already fully dressed and wide awake. "Are you alright?"

"What time is it?" Sam asked instinctively.

"Morning, we thought we'd let you sleep in before we leave Starryville." Brittney said absently. "Are you okay?"

"F-fine..." Sam whispered, and then swallowed deeply and repeated it again, louder and with fake cheer. "Fine!"

Brittney didn't look like he believed it, but she nodded anyways.

"Alright...well...we're all in the kitchen when you're ready." She backed out and closed the door, giving Sam his privacy.

Sam sighed and leaned back against the wall, pressing the note to his chest.

"It was just a dream..." He whispered to himself. "Just a dream..."

And he almost believed it.

Almost.

* * *

"Alright!" Kurt clapped his hands together, looking out at the group assembled before him in the kitchen. "So what's the plan?"

Kitty sat up straighter as she became the point of focus.

"We have to head to the Silver Shore to find Puck." She said.

"The Silver Shore?" Kurt asked uncertainly.

Kitty nodded.

"The only way to get to the Silver Shore is through an old abandoned mining tunnel; the Vertglass Mines." He said. "Nobody's used them in forever. There's no telling what's down there."

An uneasy silence fell upon the fugitives.

"I mean..." Kurt frowned. "I don't want to scare anybody but..."

"No." Sam shook his head, leaning against the wall of the hallway. "We should know."

Tina jumped in her seat, startled by his sudden appearance. She hadn't heard him approach. She knew that she wasn't the only one looking at him curiously. Brittney had practically sprinted to Sam's room, but when she came back she brought with her little consolation for the other worried fighters.

Tina had been pleased to find Kitty and Finn both in higher spirits when she awoke that morning, but if Sam was on the verge of a breakdown then they were all in trouble!

"Right..." Blaine started slowly, tearing his eyes away from his friend, deciding to let sleeping dogs lie for the moment. "It's better that we know what we're getting ourselves in for."

"Right." Sam nodded.

"Alright..." Kurt nodded. "If there's nothing else to discuss...I guess it's time to go underground."

Kitty felt naked without her locket on. She hadn't taken it off since she got it years ago, and now that she'd slipped it into the bottom of her bag, she was still adjusting. None the less, she felt freer than she'd felt in a long time. Since their Footloose performance, even!

Now she was so close to being reunited with her brother, and she didn't even have to get blood on her hands.

She looked guiltily towards Mercedes but Finn smacked her arm and shook his head at her, clearly indicating that she wasn't to feel bad about it.

She sighed and nodded, looking up. She smiled as they walked, the only thing standing between her and her brother was a cave full of unknown monstrosities.

She paused as they neared the edge of town.

A cave full of unknown monstrosities, it seemed...and a mob of foreign people.

It looked like the entire population of Starryville had gathered to see them off, and as the fugitives approached, the citizens let out an ear shattering cheer.

"What's happening?" Mercedes laughed, stepping out front beside Tina.

"We had to give you our support!" A gruff looking dark skinned man boomed.

"How did you all find out about us?" Tina asked.

"Word gets around in this town! 'Specially when a bunch of white folk show up!" Another man laughed genuinely. "You're gonna go fight for us, least we can do is give you a proper send off!"

This statement was met with another raucous cheer as people rushed in to shake hands or bear hug the little army.

"Don't forget what I've shown you, my dear." An older voice spoke in Tina's ear.

She turned around, blinking in confusion. She felt recognition wash over her as she looked down at the woman from the jewellers. Tina instantly touched the cross around her neck.

"It's in you. Don't let it go to waste!"

"Tina!" Finn reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her away from the woman and to the city gates where the others had all accumulated.

"Citizens of Starryville!" Sam yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. A hush fell over the crowd. "We want to thank you for this support, I know it's brought my spirits up a lot!"

He wasn't lying, but the doubt and the fear was far from gone. The note from his parents, his safety blanket, was folded neatly in his pocket, over and over again to make sure that it didn't spring out.

"We promise!" Kurt started, stepping forwards. "That we will fight to free you all! There will be no more 'Mutant City, we will live in a world where discrimination doesn't exist, not like this. Not for different races, or ideologies, or working classes. I will find equality, even if it kills me."

He let the unspoken 'which it might' hang in the air.

Mike Chang stepped forwards to the front of the crowd, smiling proudly.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said. "You were better than any King. All of you, are more inspiring, more deserving, than any of the royal family. I would never bow to them, but I will kneel before you." Slowly, he descended to one knee, and bowed his head.

Slowly, every other member of Starryville lowered to the ground before the fugitives.

Kurt felt his heart swell with determination, and with pride. He was representing a town that deserved so much, but had so little. If it was the last thing he did, he would pay them back for the kindness that they had shown him.

He was sure of it.

* * *

Brittney Pierce was not happy as she watched her best friend walk along after Kurt. In fact, Brittney was downright sad.

When people called upon Sam to act as a leader, he smiled and his eyes sparked and he was the leader they needed. The minute the spotlight was off of him, however, the minute he didn't have to pretend anymore, his features fell.

Sam's face was taught with stress, and tanned from all of the sun he'd been forced to get. His eyebrows furrowed almost constantly as he tried to figure out some problem or another, and with their mission as daunting as it was, there was never anything not to worry about.

Brittney was aware that there was a good chance that they would die. All of them. That they would never even reach the castle, because they would all be cut down by something along the way. In fact, it was more likely that they would fail than it was that they would succeed, and Brittney knew that.

Brittney also knew that they would _never _succeed if everybody acknowledged how totally screwed they all were, because then everybody's sprits would drop off the face of the planet. Furthermore, Brittney knew that it was Sam who kept everybody in such high spirits, and finally, Brittney knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Sam's spirits were falling.

Without Sam to lead, and believe, and be brave, then the entire group would fall apart. Brittney knew Sam hadn't asked for any of his responsibilities anymore than the rest of them had. The only difference was that Sam had to worry about all of them, about keeping his army together, like a well oiled machine.

Brittney flashed back to when the pair of them would play sports in their free time back in Ostvale. When the only stress in her life was when her father would act like a dick. Now she had no father.

Crying wouldn't solve anything, Brittney knew. But something had to be done. The problem was that Brittney knew Sam, and she knew that it wasn't that easy to get her friend to talk about his feelings. Sam just wasn't a sentimental person. It made him uncomfortable.

So somehow, Brittney had to help Sam, without Sam really understanding what she was doing.

Naturally, Brittney decided that she should shirk this responsibility onto the shoulders of a different female.

"Rachel!" She called out and the brunette turned, looking perplexed.

"Hi?" She nodded civilly at her.

Despite being part of the same team, Rachel and Brittney had never actually spoken.

"Sam's sad." Brittney said.

They both looked up at where Sam was smiling broadly at Mercedes.

"Mmhmm." Rachel said doubtfully.

"He's faking happy." Brittney insisted.

"Okay." Rachel nodded. She believed that, mostly because she did it herself. To an extent, she suspected that they all faked happiness. Nobody was totally okay with what was happening, some just managed to hide it better than others.

"You need to fix him." Brittney continued.

"Me?" Rachel asked. "Why me?"

"Cause you're in love."

"How can you see that, but not see when Santana is practically throwing herself at you?" Rachel asked dryly.

"Is that what she was doing?" Brittney paused and looked up to where Santana was chatting with Blaine and Quinn. She shook her head. "Not the point, if Sam gets sad, then our whole team falls apart."

Rachel frowned, considering this. It wasn't untrue. Sam was the central component of their machine. He was the adhesive that pulled them all together. The issue for her, was that she didn't know what was making him sad, so she couldn't help fix it.

For a heart-stopping moment she worried that it might be her fault, but she ruled that out relatively quickly. Sam wasn't that easily upset, and her admitting her love for him was a huge step for her!

She looked over to her brother for a moment and a flicker of remembrance appeared in the corner of her mind.

She thought back to when Sam had sprinted out of the bar back in Fayhaven. Blaine had been the one to follow him. Was it possible that Sam had been worrying over that all this time? Whatever _that _was...

She had just decided to go and get some answers out of her brother when Kurt stopped them all. There before them, in the center of a small glade, was an old, definitely abandoned, boarded up mining tunnel.

Santana slowed as they neared it. If nobody had been inside for years, there was no telling what they might find down there... and as Sam and Finn stepped forwards to rip off the boards, she couldn't help but wonder if they would all come back out.

"After you..." Quinn mumbled.

"No, no..." Santana swallowed nervously. "I insist."

The final board fell away and Kitty stepped forwards to take the first step, Finn right behind her and Sam falling in behind them both. Rachel, Blaine, Quinn, Brittney, Mercedes, Kurt and Tina stepped through after that, and Santana allowed herself one last look at the sky before crawling in after them.

She had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

As Finn slowly crept down the rickety wooden staircase that had been installed who knew how long ago, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. Something bad. Something that was his to deal with and his alone.

He looked at Kitty nervously.

He had helped her, just like he'd been helped. This group...there was something about them. They stood strong when others were falling, they'd all faced something. They all still had something to face. Finn however...he was finished. He didn't have another lesson to learn, he realized. Maybe...maybe his purpose was to help somebody else!

He stopped short, almost tripping at the sudden thought. His foot went through the wood and he yelped in fear as he plummeted through into a large crevasse.

"Finn!" Kitty yelled and he reached for her, but it was Sam's hands that clasped around his wrist and hauled him back out again.

Nobody moved for a moment, as Finn sat on the step below, shaken by the close call. It had happened so suddenly...death happened so suddenly...it made Finn wonder. Would he get the chance to say goodbye? Whether his time was in this mine, or years down the road, would he know?

"Are you alright to keep moving?" Sam asked.

Finn nodded nervously and they all continued on down the stairs without another incident. Finn was still shaken, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had a greater purpose than he'd thought initially, and he wasn't sure that he was ready for it, not yet...

The cave opened up at the bottom into a glittering mine. The walls sparkled with emerald gems, and light from the opening bounced off of them, providing enough light to see, but not enough for any of them to be particularly comfortable.

They walked in a single file, just in case something else happened, and again Santana found herself at the back. She turned to glance behind her, unable to shake the feeling of being watched, and stumbled over a sudden incline.

She yelped slightly and pressed her hand against the wall for support as Brittney turned around.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

Santana nodded, the sudden jolt had just scared her. She felt a tingling on her hand and turned to find a spider crawling down her wrist.

This time Santana's shriek was piercing as she wrenched her hand away and smacked the spider to the ground.

"Santana!" Brittney reached out and grabbed her as she danced with fear and disgust. "It's just a little spider, it won't hurt you!"

As if to prove her point, Brittney reached down and crushed it.

"See?"

Santana swallowed thickly and took a shaky breath. She didn't like being in this mine.

"Sorry, I just...I hate spiders." She shivered with repulsion and Brittney nodded in understanding.

"Let's catch up with the others." She said, taking her hand and jogging slightly faster than before. Santana was careful to keep her eyes on the ground this time.

When they caught back up with the group, they appeared to have hit a dead end. The rock rose far above any of their heads by at least ten feet.

"What now?" Tina asked.

Kitty pursed her lips and stepped forwards, putting her hands on her hips.

"Does anybody have any rope?" She asked.

"Yeah, actually!" Kurt spoke up, taking out his bag and hauling out a thick coil of rope. "I thought it might come in handy!"

Kitty took it without a word and clamped her teeth down on one end of it, leaving the rest at the bottom. She grabbed onto two rocks jutting out of the surface and hauled herself up off of the ground.

"Be careful!" Quinn called out as she began to climb.

Kitty grunted in acknowledgement, eyes scanning the surface for hand and feet holes. She grabbed onto a large rock and pulled against it as she pried her leg off of another hold. The rock promptly came loose and left her flailing in the air.

Instinctively, Kitty reached for her dagger and stabbed it into the empty slot where the rock had slid out. Using it as a makeshift handhold, she swung herself up and over to the top of the ledge.

"Made it!" She called down, spitting the rope into her hand and she heard her friends cheer from below. She looked around and wrapped the rope around a stalagmite. "Climb up!"

Once again, it was up to Sam to take the lead, as he walked up the wall, digging his feet into the rock and pulling tightly on the rope. He made it to the top and gave the others a thumbs up that they were good to go.

One by one the others followed after him, and again, Santana found herself at the back. She grabbed the rope but paused as a sound echoed through the mine. She was almost positive she'd just heard a scuttling noise behind her, but when she turned around, she saw nothing.

Her skin crawled as the feeling of being watched from just out of sight fell over her yet again. She shook it off and climbed to the top with the others.

They walked in silence for almost an hour before they were forced to stop again. The trickling of water had been echoing through the chambers for twenty minutes before they came across a large gap in the floor, leading down to a torrential underwater river far below.

"Now what?" Rachel asked, frowning.

"Sam." Brittney looked to her friend. "You can do it."

Sam frowned, sizing up the crevasse before him. He could probably make it, but he wasn't sure that anybody else could, and somebody would have to leap it after him.

"Rachel." He said.

She looked surprised to have her name called, unsure of how she could help the situation.

"You go last. I'll tie the rope to this end and then to another stalagmite on the other end so people can cross. You jump it after everybody else has gone." He suggested, laying out his plan.

"Umm...alright..." She frowned nervously.

"You'll do fine." Blaine reassured her as Tina secured the rope.

Sam took several steps back and took a few deep breaths before sprinting at the edge and leaping out into midair.

He was about halfway across when he realized he wasn't going to make it.

His chest hit the wall hard, but his arms lurched out, clawing at the ground attempting to hold onto something as he slid down. He managed to get his feet on a jutting gem beneath him and wrap one hand around a small stalagmite, hauling himself up and over the end.

"Oh my God, I thought you were going to die." Quinn exhaled deeply, kneeling down and sucking in some air.

"It's fine..." Blaine reassured her, patting her back, but even he looked less confident as Sam secured the other end.

This whole mine felt like they were walking on glass, tempting fate, but without Puck _and _Marley, they didn't stand a chance against the Imperial Army. Though at the moment, it felt to most of them like they were just choosing which way they would die.

"Okay, cross!" Sam called back and Quinn looked around to find herself the closest one to the front.

"You're light, you'll be fine." Rachel stated and the others nodded.

"Okay..." She murmured and Blaine squeezed her hand supportively as she got down on her hands and knees and crawled up to the rope. She grabbed it and lay down, crawling forwards as slowly as she could, so that she was straddling the rope.

Eventually her balance gave out and she was crawling upside down, but she managed to reach the other end and drop to the ground with a relieved sigh. The others all made it with similar success, and eventually Rachel found that it was her turn to jump.

"I'm nervous." She admitted.

"Its fine, we've got you." Sam reassured her, stepping up and grabbing hold of the rope, ready to pull if she didn't make it all the way, as he suspected she would not. "Just don't let go of the rope."

Rachel nodded, still uneasy as she untied the rope from her side.

Taking a deep breath she ran forwards and leapt for the other side.

Miraculously, she did manage to land one foot on the other edge, unfortunately, she'd almost turned horizontal in the air, and had no traction as she slipped over the edge and plummeted until the rope hit its maximum tension and stopped her.

Nobody noticed a small tear appear in the middle of the rope as they pulled her back up.

Rachel was shaken from her close call, but she trekked forwards none the less, unfortunately, it had not been ten minutes before a second gap stopped them short.

They all peered over the edge. It was clear that this ledge was much larger than the first, and Sam frowned, shaking his head.

"I can't jump that." He admitted.

"I definitely can't jump that." Rachel added.

"What about the wall." Blaine pointed out, stepping forwards and running his hands along the worn surface. "Can somebody climb across using the wall?"

He turned around and everybody was looking at him expectantly.

"Good luck!" Kurt called cheerily.

He scowled, but accepted the rope and began searching for handholds.

"Make sure you don't grab a loose rock!" Kitty called out helpfully and he nodded, picking carefully over the selection of holds. Once he was out over the open space, with the water far below echoing up at him, he felt light headed and had to press himself against the wall and close his eyes for a moment until it passed.

Thankfully, it did not reappear and he made it to the other side without incident.

He paused as he looked around.

"There aren't any stalagmites..." He called back.

Sam frowned; it was like the universe wanted them to fail. He looked around for anything that might help them and spotted Mercedes's weapon; the bo staff she'd relieved a soldier of.

"Use Mercedes's staff!" He called out. "Stab it into the ground and tie the rope to it."

"Will that work?" Blaine asked.

"We have to try, there's no way I can climb over there." Tina said.

"Me neither." Finn gritted his teeth nervously.

Mercedes stepped up and lined up her spear, javelin tossing it almost directly to Blaine on the other side.

"Good throw." Brittney remarked.

"Thanks!" She grinned.

Blaine dug out a trench and stabbed the bo staff inside as deep as he could get it. When he was done he filled the trench again and patted it down hard.

"Alright Quinn, you're our tester." Kurt smiled and Quinn scowled, but again, stepped up to the plate.

Miraculously, the staff held, and she made it all the way across. Finn, Kurt, Rachel, and Santana all following behind.

Mercedes stepped up next, nervously eyeing the rope. It seemed less supportive than it had been on the first cavern as she started across. She realized with a start that the rope was ripping in the middle.

Unfortunately, she only realized this as she reached the center and the rope snapped.

Mercedes screamed as she plunged towards the wall and braced herself as she hit it. The force of her hitting the wall snapped her bo staff, and before she knew it, she was falling.

"Mercedes!" The others screamed as she vanished into the darkness.

The entire event had lasted under twenty seconds, but nobody moved as her screams stopped short.

"...Mercedes..." Quinn whispered, staring down.

Finn snapped his fingers, fire jumping into his palm. He leaned over the edge and attempted to illuminate the darkness, but it didn't reach very far. He tilted his hand and let the fireball fall, but Mercedes was nowhere to be seen as the rapids sped past the jagged rocks below.

"What do we do now...?" Kurt whispered, shell shocked. They hadn't lost anybody, not yet...why now?

Finn couldn't help but flash back to his earlier thoughts. Mercedes hadn't had the chance to say goodbye...she had just fallen and...and now she was gone.

"We have to keep moving." Kurt said, startling everybody. "Mercedes would want us to get out of this cave. We can't stop here." He insisted, stepping up to the wall that Blaine had scaled.

Sam, Kitty and Brittney stepped up behind him, all three looking uneasy, but resigned. They too made it to the other side and soon the entire group had clumped together.

"Let's get away from here and take a break." Sam suggested, and the others mindlessly followed until they reached a larger, more open area. They scattered about it and sat down, many of them resting their heads in their hands.

"We have to move on." Kurt said, putting on a brave face.

"She's not dead." Rachel snapped.

"She might-"

"We don't know that!"

They both fell silent and everybody looked away, staring at some piece of cave or another. Only Sam looked over his army, resigned to watch the impending implosion. He was surprised when it was Brittney who set the ball in motion.

"Alright." Brittney said, clapping her hands together. "Let's go find her."

She stood up and Quinn blinked, looking up at her.

"Find her with what?" She snapped. "We don't have any rope."

"We can all climb, we've proven that." Blaine responded irritably.

"Umm...I'm not climbing." Tina said.

"Mercedes would want us to get out of the mine." Kurt repeated.

"Yes, well Mercedes would also want to get out of the mine herself." Rachel snapped at him. "That probably won't happen if we don't help her. What if she fell and got knocked out?"

"Well...let's be logical. What if we go look for her, and we fall and also get knocked out?" Finn reasoned.

"Exactly!" Quinn nodded.

"We won't." Brittney said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well I'm pretty sure she didn't plan on it either." Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Rachel started. "It's not her fault she wants to help her friend!"

"I thought that's what we did." Blaine snapped, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "We looked out for one another, we helped one another! All for one and one for all."

"Unless it's inconvenient for the all I guess." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Just because we don't want to go off and get ourselves killed-" Quinn started.

"Hey!" Kitty yelled and the others quieted. "We have to stick together right now! We can't turn on each other because things are confusing! The minute we stop being a family is the minute the King wins. If we can't help one another, how can any of us help ourselves! I'm not saying we should look for Mercedes, I'm saying we should stay here and see if she can get to us. That way nobody else is in danger, but we can still help her if she calls out to us. If she's unconscious than she's probably safe until she wakes up, and we'll be here if she does, but we won't hear her if we're all screaming at one another!"

There was a tense silence as everybody absorbed Kitty's rant.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Finn started, and the others all murmured their apologies as well.

Rachel shook her head and walked off and Quinn sighed and followed her. Santana stood up suddenly and began walking off in a different direction as Kitty sat back down, running her hands through her hair and looking at her bag.

"Where are you going?" Brittney asked.

"I just need some space." She said.

"I'll need space with you." She said and they walked away from the group, sitting down in a small offshoot of the main cavern.

Santana was shaken. She was afraid. She was worried that if she ever lagged, if she ever became inconvenient to the group, people would be okay with the idea of leaving her behind. Maybe that was selfish of her, but being alone...it still scared her, even if Sam had convinced her that she belonged. Mercedes belonged too!

"Are you alright?" Brittney asked.

"No." She admitted. She explained to the other girl how she felt and Brittney frowned sympathetically and reached out to hug her.

"Nobody's going to leave you." She said. "And we're not leaving Mercedes either, we just haven't figured out how to find her yet."

Neither of them wanted to entertain the thought that she might be long gone.

Santana sighed and nodded into Brittney's shoulder, opening her eyes and glancing behind the other girl.

There, standing in the middle of the cavern directly behind Brittney's back, stood a massive, dog-sized, hairy, fanged spider. It tensed its legs to pounce and her scream echoed throughout the entire mine.

* * *

Coal stumbled drunkenly through the darkness, snickering and rubbing his arms. He could see Mercedes in his minds' eye, and the thought of her destruction brought a giggle to his lips.

Nobody said no to Coal.

_Nobody! _

He growled loudly as his destination came into view before him. She would find him, he knew it. She would be caught by Riker, the new leader of the Imperial army, and then led to him, and when she was, he would be waiting to destroy her.

It occurred to Coal that he should probably be upset that he had been deemed clinically insane and unworthy of leading their troop, but it didn't. He was no longer held back by such trivialities as morals. The old Coal sometimes worried about the consequences of his actions, the new Coal only reacted.

He had been publically humiliated, and he had been left speechless. Speechless! Beaten! Humiliated! Humiliated! Humiliated!

He cackled into the night, letting his eyes roll back in his head.

His family had a history of insanity, but Coal reasoned that he wasn't insane, just free. No, it was everybody else that was insane! To worry about consequences and results! There was only one result that Coal had on his mind now; he wanted blood on his hands. And he knew just whose blood he wanted.

* * *

Santana instinctively shoved Brittney out of the way as the spider leapt. She felt her breathing tighten and she couldn't stop screaming and crying as the spider smashed into her and took her to the ground, its fangs clacking together above her.

"Santana!" Brittney grabbed the spider and shoved it aside, helping Santana back to her feet.

They both turned as five more spiders crawled out of the darkness towards them, all murderous, all massive, all terrifying.

"Stay behind me." Brittney said, pushing her behind his back.

She drew her sword as the spiders approached, hunters circling in on their pray. Brittney heard a thump and turned to find Santana had fainted to the cave floor.

"Santana!" She looked out towards the cavern holding the others. "Help!"

Brittney grunted as a spider landed on her back. She swung her sword up at it, but another beast latched onto her arm and weighed it down. Brittney tried to shake them loose, but a third spider landed on her back and the weight dropped her to the ground.

Brittney's head hit a rock and her vision went black.

Blaine perked up as Brittney cried out. He looked across the cavern and locked eyes with Sam, both of them alert.

"Brittney?" Sam yelled, standing up. "Brittney!"

The two of them sprinted towards the smaller area where Brittney and Santana had vanished. They both stopped short, there were spiders everywhere! Pouring out of the walls of the cave and culminating on the bodies of their friends.

"Santana!" Blaine ran forwards and drop kicked a spider as it attempted to bury its fangs in her skin.

Sam ran past them as a spider jumped on Blaine's back and he stabbed it with an arrow. Sam skidded to a stop at Brittney's side and a spider immediately began crawling up Sam's leg. He whipped out his sword and stabbed it through, and then continued on, bisecting one of the fiends on Brittney's chest.

He heard the battle cry of another spider and turned to find it leaping at his face, fangs at the ready.

A ball of fire smashed into it and it splattered against the side-wall of the enclosure.

"Get into open space!" Finn yelled, beckoning Blaine and Sam both.

Blaine knelt down and tossed Santana's arm over his shoulders, dragging her along with him as he ran. A spider leapt at him, clinging to his shoulder, but holding Santana, Blaine could only crane his neck away from it.

"I got you bro!" Finn summoned another fireball as the girls in the larger chamber began screaming.

The fireball struck true and Blaine continued forwards, bypassing Finn and rushing Santana into the larger chamber.

Sam stomped down hard on one of the spiders, kicking it roughly away from Brittney's body and grabbing her under the arms to drag her backwards as quickly as he could. A spider leapt onto his back and Sam cried out as it dug its fangs into him.

He felt a jet of heat from one of Finn's fireballs and the spider was launched over Sam's shoulder. Sam turned to glance at Finn, and felt his mouth go dry.

"Finn!" He started to warn him as at least five dog-sized spiders leapt onto him, burying him in a writhing pile of legs and fur. "Somebody!" Sam yelled. A spider bit his hand and he yanked it back, dropping Brittney on the ground.

Kitty appeared then, cutting nimbly into the pile of spiders atop Finn. In the shower of blood and limbs that followed, she couldn't help but pray that she hadn't lost him. She didn't know what she'd do if that happened.

She found his face and pressed her bloody fingers against his throat. He was still breathing; there was a pulse.

A spider leapt on top of him, hissing at her and she screamed, falling backwards.

Sam panted from fear and adrenaline as more spiders filtered out of the cavern, backing him away from Brittney's body. With nothing else to do, Sam turned and grabbed Kitty's hand, pulling her into the larger chamber.

Blaine was in the center covering Santana's body, his bow drawn, firing arrows all around the clearing. He seemed to be doing fairly well, but only because most of the spiders had yet to target him. The highest concentration was chasing after Sam and Kitty as they ran towards him.

The second highest concentration had cornered Kurt and Tina in one rocky corner.

Two spiders simultaneously leapt at Kurt but he bashed one in the face with his shield and sliced the other one in two. Tina, who had abandoned her dagger in favour of a large rock, crushed the head of another spider that had been poised to attack into the wall of the cave in a surprising show of brutality.

"Kurt! Tina!" Sam yelled, beckoning them over. They stood a better chance if they were together.

The two managed to fight their way over through what had steadily become a sea of writhing spiders. At one point Tina had been overpowered and disappeared under the mass of bodies, but Kurt had refused to let in and dove in after her, emerging victorious with Tina still conscious at his side.

When the five of them had culminated in the center, an intense rumbling began, growing louder and louder, huge, earth-shaking thumps.

"What is that?" Kurt yelled.

"The spiders!" Blaine pointed out.

The beasts before them had stopped, even those atop Brittney and Finn had frozen in place.

Sam looked around as the spiders slowly began to creep back into the walls.

"They're retreating!" Kurt cheered.

"No they aren't. They're fleeing..." Kitty said nervously.

"From us?" Tina asked.

"I doubt it." Kitty frowned.

"Where are Quinn and Rach-" Sam was cut off as two piercing shrieks cut the air and both girls in question came hurtling around the corner, arms pumping and feet a blur.

A huge black leg came swinging around the corner and ploughed into both of them, sending them flying into a wall.

They both slid to the ground unconscious as the other five cried out in shock and surprise.

"What is that thing?" Tina whispered as another stalky leg appeared, then six more. They all followed the legs up to the top of the massive cavern. Standing before them, drooling from fangs larger than a farm animal, was a spider as big as a house.

"Holy shit..." Blaine barely breathed.

The giant spider raised one leg, a spear like point at the end, and drilled it down towards the five of them.

Kurt, Blaine, Tina and Kitty all dove to the side. Sam stood in shock, staring straight at it, stunned. As it neared him, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.

It was a boy, around their age. He took a running leap from a high up cave and flipped through the air, drawing a huge wood cutter's axe out from some sort of strap on his back and digging the weapon into the spider's head.

They all watched in awe as the massive beast swayed and the boy got his footing, ripping his axe back out. With a loud bellow, the monster crashed to the ground, the boy jumping off at the last minute to land nimbly in front of them.

"Sam..." Kitty barely dared to whisper. "I'd like you to meet my brother; Puck."

* * *

**_So there you go! Lots of close calls this chapter, and you have to wonder how many close calls the group can have before they lose somebody for good. In the next Chapter, Kitty reunites with her brother and Puck adjusts to the group. Quinn and Blaine share a loving duet, and the team takes to the sea, where darker things lurk in the deep. Having to find one another once more on the opposite shore, feelings are tested, and somebody might not make it back from the accident. Sam finally reaches his breaking point, and when an unexpected death rocks the group, another teammate questions their allegiance._**


	12. Chapter 12

****Hi! So, this chapter doesn't focus very much on Samchel, unfortunately, but has some very strong Sam, Puck, Tina, Quinn and Finn character development, so hopefully it will tide you over. I promise that there is a scene coming up that will more than satisfy you I hope.

I don't own Glee.

Read and review!

**The High Seas**

"Kitty...?" Puck whispered, staring down at the sister he'd left behind so long ago.

He couldn't believe it, it was practically impossible. A guy with his luck did not live in the wilderness, exiled and fighting for survival in harsh climates, competing for food against other wild animals, and then just suddenly happen upon his long lost sister.

That didn't happen. This couldn't be real!

"Aww!" A cheerful voice gushed behind him. "Family reunion!"

He aimed a glance at Mercedes as she walked up behind him.

* * *

_Puck was creeping through the cave, on the lookout for any rodents unlucky enough to be creeping around through the dark. He had his bow drawn, and his knife handy in his pocket. He'd brought along his axe in case any of the darkness dwellers felt brave enough to stand up to him, but he'd made a name for himself amongst the natural kingdoms around the Silver Shore, and usually predators left him be. _

_ Puck had lopped off his hair as often as he could, it got in the way, and his body was weather beaten and scarred, but he was alive, and he was healthy. Without a fresh water spring he was forced to boil sea water or suck on dew to get his nourishment, but everything else came relatively easily once he got the hang of it. With nothing else to do, and a constant paranoia, Puck had done nothing but train for years, his fury and resentment towards the King growing day in and day out._

_ He froze as a sound reached his ears._

_ It was so unfamiliar to him, that he almost didn't recognize it as speech. Words. Human words. He hadn't heard human words since he boarded up the Starryville entrance to the mine years ago. English even, he understood it! With nobody to talk to, he'd worried that he might forget. _

_ Slowly Puck began to creep through the tunnels, following the sounds of voices. _

_ What were people doing in these mines? They were dangerous! They could get themselves killed! How had they even made it this far in? _

_ He reached an outcropping and looked up to find that the adventurers had strung a rope from one side of the cavern to the other. He looked down at the rushing rapids below and knew with absolute certainty that if they fell, they would crack their heads open and die. _

_ He watched a pretty blonde girl cross over first, and was surprised when she succeeded. More and more people crossed over, all of them nimble enough that there were no great disasters. _

_ Puck's eyes had grown sharp living in solitude for so long, however. The eyes of a hunter. He saw the fraying rope, and he knew that it was going to break. _

_ Resigning himself to play the hero, he uncoiled a rope from around his torso, a sharp hook attached to the end. It was an old grappling hook from an adventurer long gone that Puck had restored to its former glory. He pitched it at the wall across from him and smiled as it stabbed into the brick._

_ Puck pulled it tight as the girl reached the middle, and he looked up when the rope snapped and she began to scream. Setting his face, Puck ran forwards, swung on the rope, wrapped his free arm around her, waited until they swung back, and let go, rolling them both back to the ground._

_ Her scream had cut off when he grabbed her, and when he looked down at her, she had passed out from shock. She was very pretty, he admitted to himself. He'd missed human contact, forgot that it could be pleasant. _

_ When she woke up and asked who he was, he told her. He told her everything, his whole story, and Mercedes in turn told him hers. It seemed that they'd both been wronged by the King, hurt by his forces, had their lives ripped apart._

_ Now they were both trying to make the best of it._

_ After she'd finished, she began to tell him another story. One of two children who had grown up in the castle and been sentenced to death, of three teenagers from a small town on the outskirts of the Kingdom who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up running for their lives, of how one of those girls had lost his own father, and how the other had died. She told him the stories of all of her friends, and then she told him one final story, the story of a girl who had lost her brother because of the King. _

_ Puck asked the name of the girl._

_ Mercedes said Kitty._

* * *

Kitty ran to her brother and he held her tight, looking over her head at Sam.

"I want to join you." Puck said.

Sam smiled softly and nodded.

"Welcome aboard."

"I can't believe you're here..." Kitty whispered against Puck's rough cloth jacket.

"I am." He smiled down at her and she didn't even bother trying to hide her tears. "I'm not leaving."

"I couldn't...I was so broken...Mom and Dad...they're dead. I was so alone!"

"I'm sorry..." Puck whispered, holding her close. "I'm so sorry."

"I wanted to die." Kitty admitted.

"Hey..." Puck knelt down and she sat with him as he held both of her arms in his. "Sometimes when the thing you care about most leaves you, you're forced to keep going anyways. It doesn't mean you have to like it, it just means that you have to accept it." He said with more certainty than he thought he was capable. "But sometimes life takes a turn you don't expect! _That's _the reason you go on living."

Puck smiled at his sister and drew her close.

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." He promised.

There wasn't a dry eye in the cave as Sam, Blaine, Kurt, Tina and Mercedes watched the siblings' reunion.

"You don't know that." Kitty whispered. "You're here now, but what if you're not tomorrow? What if I lose you again? What if you lose me?"

"I never lost you in the first place, and you never lost me." Puck said holding her tightly. "Remember that, we'll always be together, even if we aren't. Okay?"

Kitty sniffled and looked up at him.

"Promise?"

"I promise." He whispered and kissed the top of her head. "Do you?"

She nodded.

"I promise."

"Good." He smiled and looked around at the others. "Then let's get out of this cave."

Sam nodded, inspired.

"You got it."

* * *

Puck made his introductions to the rest of the group as they awoke, and everybody was relieved at how well the others took to him. Finn and Rachel sympathised with his story, and the three of them became quite close. Quinn too, took a shine to Puck, and Blaine found himself inspired by the older boy. Kurt and Tina both found contentment in hanging out with the new boy, and Sam was relieved to have finally found somebody who might be able to take some of the pressure.

As strong as Puck was, Sam was happy to split the leadership role with him, though it didn't seem as though Puck wanted any part of it. On the contrary, more often than not, Puck disappeared to talk to Mercedes, getting up to date on the goings-on in the world. Out of everybody, it seemed Puck and Mercedes had grown the closest.

There was something interesting in watching the two of them interact. It was oddly familiar to some of them; Sam, Rachel, Blaine, Quinn, Brittney and Santana, but they couldn't quite seem to put their fingers on it.

That was fine with Puck, because he knew exactly what he was feeling, and he wasn't sure he wanted to let it be known. He felt an undeniable desire to protect Mercedes, not as strong as his desire to help his sister, but stronger than he would expect to feel for a stranger.

He'd never loved anybody back in Fayhaven, and he didn't believe this to be love either, but it was definitely something. If he had to put a name to it...Puck had a crush!

Romantic entanglements aside, with Puck leading them they made quick work of the rest of the Vertglass Mines, and without their King, the spiders weren't quick to attack again, much to Santana's relief.

When they finally saw the sun again, nobody could help but smile. They all felt stronger now, like they'd stood a test of strength and come out the other side. Yes, some-most even- had fallen to the spiders, but they hadn't died, and that was as much a cause for celebration as any!

* * *

"We're heading to Ironmount Point." Finn informed everybody as they sat in a circle on the beach. "Now that we have Puck, we only need one more soldier to make us complete. Marley. She's saved our butts already, but we need her on the battlefield. She is the strongest magical being in the Kingdom. If she can't be of assistance, nobody can."

"Ironmount Point is across the Wintersea." Puck piped up, looking out across the ocean. "I've never been there personally, but adventurers passing by have talked about it. There's a nameless little ice fishing village on the other side of the caves there, but I'm not sure what's in them."

"We are." Blaine piped up. "On the other side of the Wintersea are the Icegate Crags. It's basically a straight shoot, we've seen the maps. You go in, you go down a ladder, through a few chambers and then back out again."

"Only most people don't come back out again." Rachel picked up. "Because in those caves is the Ice Dragon. One of the five big dragons that the King uses for his sacrifices."

"There are only five dragons?" Quinn asked.

"No there are more, but these five; Ice, Earth, Thunder, Fire and Sea, used to be strong representatives of ancient nations. Legend says that their ancestors created this world, and whether or not that's actually true, they are all terrifyingly strong, and they are all brainwashed by the King." Blaine said.

"Awesome..." Puck drawled.

"First things first, we need to get across the Wintersea." Kurt pointed out and they all paused, deliberating that.

"We could..." Puck started, but then paused. "I don't know, we could build a raft. I know how, I used to make them to fish in deeper waters, but the waters get dangerous the deeper you go."

"That's comforting." Santana said.

"We don't really have any other options." Sam said. "Everybody split up and look for wood or bark that we can use to tie it together. Just...look for anything Puck might find useful."

* * *

Quinn kicked off her worn leather sandals and held them as she walked along the beach, Blaine at her side. Brisk water from the Wintersea lapped at their ankles, but neither complained. There was something peaceful about a walk on the beach, when they were constantly running for their lives.

A warm breeze drifted by them, tussling Quinn's hair.

She scowled and attempted to pat it down, looking up in time to catch Blaine's grin before he averted his eyes.

"What?" She laughed. "This hair is too unruly for wind!"

"I don't understand how a girl so badass can be so delicate at the same time!" He laughed.

She grinned and brushed imaginary dirt off her shoulders.

"That's just how I roll." She nodded. They both laughed, looking at each other, forgetting all about collecting driftwood for the raft.

A flock of seabirds passed overhead and they both looked up. The birds swooped and spiralled for a moment before taking off across the ocean. Quinn smiled after them.

"It's amazing how fantastic some things are, if you just know where to look." Blaine sighed.

"Like you?" Quinn said, before she realized what she was saying. He looked startled, and confused, so she hastily explained. "I mean, people thought you were a savage in those woods, but you're actually a really nice guy!"

"I guess." He laughed. "It just took you getting chased into my house at sword-point to figure that out." He joked.

"You shush." She nudged him and he smiled.

"You're pretty fantastic too Quinn Fabray." He said.

"Not really." She laughed.

"You are! You're such a great person, caring and kind and brave in the face of adversity. I'm glad those guys tried to kill you." He laughed. "If they hadn't, I never would've met you. You're my first girlfriend, yeah, but I've never had a friend as good as you either." He smiled tenderly and she laughed.

"To be fair, you never had a friend before me." She joked and he pouted. She paused and he looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing..."

"What?"

"It's just..." She paused and took a deep breath. She looked down at a rock half buried in the sand. She bent down and picked it up. As the sand fell away, she discovered that it was heart-shaped. That was all the encouragement she needed. "We're lucky you know? We aren't like Sam and Rachel, or Santana and Brittney. We were best friends first, and _then_ we found love."

Blaine was silent. He was silent for so long, in fact, that Quinn began to worry that she'd made a mistake or said something wrong. They just continued to walk forwards together, silently breathing in the salty ocean air.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Lucky: Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillait**

She had just turned to take it back, out of fear of his response, when he began to sing.

_"Do you hear me? I'm talkin' to you." _He smiled faintly, eyes sparkling as he took her hand and gestured out across the Wintersea._ "Across the water, across the deep blue ocean, under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying." _

Shyly Quinn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, she drew closer to him as she sang her own verse.

_"Boy I hear you...in my dreams. I feel you whisper, across the sea."_ She felt the breeze stir her hair again, but she couldn't bring herself to mind. _"I keep you with me in my heart, you make it easier when life gets hard." _

Together they continued to sing, leaning against one another, hands clasped tenderly.

_"I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been...Lucky to be coming home again..." _They paused and Quinn looked up at him smiling. He caught her gaze and they stopped walking. _"Oooh, oooh, oooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oooh, ooh..."_

_ "They don't-" _Quinn started, shaking her head. _"-know how long it takes..."_

_ "They don't know how long it takes." _He grabbed her other hand and she joined him to finish the line. _"Waiting for a love like this." _

_ "Every time-" _Quinn started again, smiling broadly. _"-we say goodbye..." _

_ "Every time we say goodbye." _He smiled back at her. _"I wish we had one more kiss, I'll wait for you, I promise you, I will!" _They finished, he leaned in and Quinn giggled as she broke away, running further away from the beach, laughing.

_"Oh I-!" _He laughed and then took off after her.

_"I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend! Lucky to have been where I have been! Lucky to be coming home again." _He caught her, wrapped his arms around her midsection and spun her around.

He set her down and she grabbed his arms as she stumbled, both of them falling to the sand next to a small group of beach flowers.

_"Lucky we're in love in every way." _They sang, looking up at the clouds above. _"Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed, lucky to be coming home someday..." _

_ "And so I'm sailing through the sea..." _He sang, propping himself up on one elbow to look at her. _"To an island, where we'll meet. You'll hear the music fill the air! I'll put a flower, in your hair." _He reached past her and plucked a large white blossom, settling it behind her ear as she sang back.

_"Though the breezes through the trees, move so pretty...you're all I see!" _She laughed and tackled him. They began to roll down the beach. The slowed and came to a stop and she smiled down at him. _"As the world keeps spinning 'round, you hold me right here, right now." _

_ "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend." _They sang together. Quinn stood up and held out a hand to help him to his feet as well. _"Lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again..."_

They both looked up as chirping filled the air. The birds from before had returned and were spiralling and looping about around their heads. They both grinned, grabbing one another's hands.

_"I'm lucky we're in love in every way, lucky to have stayed where we have stayed...lucky to be coming home someday." _They looked down into each other's eyes once more, both smiling so wide it almost hurt. With each ooh that followed, they drew closer and closer until they were caught in a kiss.

"Eeep!" Brittney squealed and they pulled apart. "You two are just so cute! Puck made the raft, we're good to go."

She practically floated away from them and Quinn and Blaine laughed.

"You're beautiful Quinn Fabray, inside and out. I can think of nobody greater." He smiled at her and walked away.

Quinn smiled softly to herself, watching him go.

Long ago, it seemed like eons, she was worried about being hot. She wanted more than anything to turn heads when she walked into a room. But now she saw that it wasn't hotness that she needed. She wanted beauty, but not the kind that was skin deep. The kind that radiated from the heart, and drew people towards you just because they could recognize that light.

Yes, she decided, she was happy with how her story had panned out. It wasn't over, not yet, but she was fairly certain that she didn't have a whole lot of soul searching left to do. No, Quinn Fabray knew who she was, now she just had to fight for the right to keep it that way.

* * *

"Rachel?"

Rachel looked up, smiling as Kitty approached her.

"Hey!" Rachel beamed.

Seeing Kitty, or Puck for that matter, gave her unbelievable hope. It made her think that she didn't have to worry so much about things going awry with her brother or Sam. She was genuinely happy for the other siblings, undeniably.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I just wanted to thank you." Kitty said.

"For what?" Rachel shifted her body so that she was giving Kitty all of her attention.

"For being my family when I didn't have any." Kitty admitted shyly, almost embarrassed.

"Aww!" Rachel put a hand to her chest and frowned. She smiled with her eyes though, as she stood and wrapped Kitty in a hug. "I'm still your family! We all are!"

"Yeah..." Kitty smiled, looking truly happy.

It was interesting to her, to be truly happy. She could barely remember the feeling anymore, and it was so pleasant, that she couldn't help but laugh.

"I know!" She smiled and it was contagious to the point that soon both girls were shaking their heads at how ridiculously pleased they were with their situation. They were still fugitives, their lives were still on the line, but in that moment, none of that mattered.

Which was good, because that moment didn't last.

* * *

"Where did this even come from?" Blaine screamed over the roar of the storm clouds over head as it pelted their raft with hard, cold rain.

The ocean was churning, huge waves threatening their balance at every crest, and threatening to swallow them with every trough.

"I don't know!" Puck screamed back as a thunder clap burst in the distance. He was holding tightly to the mast erected in the center of the raft. Others clung to small guard rails that Puck had thought to create on the side.

"Oh my God!" Tina screamed suddenly.

She let go of the guard rail and covered her mouth, pointing at the ocean where the ridges of a long serpent-like creature could be seen diving into the water almost directly next to their craft.

"What is that thing?" Kitty yelled.

Like her words were a cue for the beast to emerge, an enormous sea snake erupted out of the water in front of her, cracking its snout on one far edges of the craft.

"Tina!" Blaine yelled, reaching out to reel her in, but the raft bucked so strongly that she flew through the air, slamming into him and sending them both toppling into the churning mass of white water below them.

"Blaine!" Rachel screamed, running from her rail towards the side where they had vanished.

Another wave hit and water washed over the deck. Rachel screamed as her feet flew out from under her and the raft was tilted almost vertically.

"Sam!" She yelled, flailing her hands wildly to try and hold onto something.

Puck dropped to the ground and wrapped his legs around the mast, reaching out and grabbing her arm with both of his hands.

"It's circling back!" Kurt warned as the serpent made a beeline directly for their raft.

"We've invaded its territory!" Puck realized.

Finn shot a beam of electricity at it as it approached, but that only served to anger it more, and it dove under the surface, sending up a massive tidal wave by splashing its tail down into the water.

"Hold on!" Sam yelled as the water reared up over them and the raft started sliding up the slope.

The water came down, harsh and blistering cold on their heads. Miraculously, their little raft managed to stay upright.

"Rachel!" Puck screamed as her hands slipped from his. She fell and slammed into the guard rail so hard that it cracked and split down the middle, sending her flying into the ocean.

"Rachel!" Sam repeated, squinting through the rain and yelling so loudly that it made his throat raw.

Santana screamed as the guard rail she was against split from the force of Rachel's fall. She felt wood slipping away from her as she plummeted into the ocean, but she managed to latch onto a loose piece of timber that was barely connected by some loose bark.

She locked her terrified eyes on Brittney's as the bark ripped and she splashed back into the ocean.

"Santana!" Brittney yelled, letting go of her perch and taking off, planting one foot on the guard rail and diving in after her.

"No!" Puck yelled.

"Brittney!" Sam cried out.

A bolt of lightning hit the ocean almost directly beside them and the raft rocked violently at the intense hit.

Mercedes cried out as her arms slipped from around the wet wood that she'd been clasping to. She slid down the slanted deck, reaching out for whatever she could grasp.

Finn lunged for her, attempting to stop her fall, but he misjudged the violent jerk that catching her would cause and he dropped with her, flailing wildly into the ocean.

Puck, Kitty, Quinn, Kurt and Sam looked around at one another, the only ones left afloat. The only ones who had yet to be pitched into the sea.

"Guys!" Kurt yelled suddenly, letting go of his guard rail and backing away from it. His feet slipped on the deck but he scrambled backwards as the sea serpent turned its attention back to them. "Guys!" He screamed.

It opened its jaws and clamped down hard on the place where Kurt had been positioned only moments before. He screamed as it tilted the raft down and he slid towards its suddenly gaping mouth.

"Kurt!" Kitty cried out.

Kurt separated his legs, planting one foot against the upper teeth of the beast and the other against the bottom row. His position was the only thing keeping him from plummeting down the gullet of the beast.

"Kurt jump!" Puck yelled, reaching out for him, legs still wrapped around the mast.

He crouched and jumped up towards him and the serpent roared and shook its head, smashing it down against the raft and sending a crack running almost all the way through the middle.

"No!" Sam reached out to grab part of the railing on the other side of the crack, desperate to keep their only means of survival afloat. Quinn reached across to grab onto his forearm in an attempt to keep them together.

Kurt screamed as the serpent descended again, sending a cascade of water over all of them. The force of the attack was enough to split the rest of the craft. The piece in Sam's hand split away and he almost toppled over from the sudden jolt.

Quinn cried out as Sam fell back and she found herself pitching headfirst into the water.

"Quinn!" Sam yelled, lunging for her, but she had vanished under the churning surface.

He frantically lunged for the other section, but found himself almost suspended above the writhing water of death. Kitty grabbed him and pulled him back, both of them clinging to the railing for dear life as Kurt and Puck drifted away.

"Kitty!" Puck yelled as she and Sam vanished behind a large wave.

"Puck!" She yelled back.

The serpent reared up between them once more and body slammed the surface, sending two split tidal waves towards both of them. When the water settled, Kitty and Sam had gone under, and Puck found that Kurt's fingers had slipped from his grasp.

"No! Kurt! Kitty! Sam!" He yelled over the storm.

He looked up as thunder clapped overhead and a bolt of lightning shot down at the only railing left. It splintered and jagged shards flew everywhere. One thicker piece smacked against his head, and he saw fuzzy shapes appear before his eyes as his vision swam.

"Stay awake..." He tried to tell himself, but that was not going to work, so he pulled himself up and tightened both his arms and legs around the mast. "Don't let go..." He whispered, and unconsciousness claimed him.

* * *

**Love of a Soldier**

When Puck woke again, he felt sand clinging to his cheek, face pressed into the beach and half-buried to the point where a heavy inhalation sent him into a fit of coughing up wet, gritty sand.

He lifted his arms out in front of him and pushed himself up onto all fours, looking around at his surroundings blearily. The beach he was on was not the Silvershore that he was accustomed to. This sand was almost white, and the trees that lined the beach were of a variety that Puck was unfamiliar with.

The air was also significantly colder than it had been on the other side. Though that was to be expected, they were surrounding the Icegate Crags, the coldest part of the Kingdom and home to countless winter-born creatures.

The raft was in pieces behind him, worn raw and covered in seaweed.

Blinking harshly and rubbing sand that had encrusted itself on his eyelids away, Puck tried to remember what had happened. How long had he been out? A day? Two? More? No, it wasn't likely that it was any more than that, he was hungry, but he didn't have the insatiable appetite he'd had when a climbing accident knocked him out for four days earlier in the year.

He remembered being hit in the head, and then falling unconscious. He'd told himself not to let go of the raft, and from the looks of it, he hadn't. However, he wasn't connected anymore, but was instead sprawled across the beach ahead of the raft.

A brief flash of memory came back to him; plunging through the waves, waking up periodically, spotting a body floating in the water and swimming towards it...

That body...who had it been? Were they alive? Had he made it to them?

He looked around the beach and sat back on his knees, trying to work some of the stiffness out of his joints.

"You're awake!" Somebody cried and he turned to find Tina rushing towards him, arms laden with a few berries that she'd managed to discover in the forest.

"Tina?" Puck blinked at her.

Yes, he remembered now, he'd hauled her atop the raft and pumped her chest until she coughed up so much water that he was worried she would start bleeding internally. When she came to he remembered a joint feeling of accomplishment and fatigue before he collapsed, head thunking against the raft.

As if he didn't have a headache already...

"Yes!" She knelt down before him and handed him the berries, which he greedily gobbled down, licking the juice off of his fingers when he was finished.

He paused and looked up at her guiltily.

"Sorry, I should've saved you some."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" She waved away his concern immediately. "I gorged myself back at the bush where I found them." She laughed.

"How are you so happy?" He asked.

She frowned, initially perplexed by the question. Tina reasoned that it made sense that she _should _be upset, but she had prayed to come out of that ocean alive, and here she was! Not only that, but Puck was still with her. She felt that, perhaps it was better to focus on the good, than the bad, and to keep praying for the others. So until she was proven wrong, she would have faith that everybody else was okay too.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just thankful." Tina finally said. "I haven't seen you since that night... Finn explained to me what happened to you. After that, there was no joy in Fayhaven. Kitty lost herself in the darkness, Finn had vanished into the night, and there were soldiers prowling the streets searching for you for weeks. Safety was a thing of the past, privacy was totally out of the question. People were killed for being out past curfew."

"And that makes you thankful?" Puck asked, not judging her, just genuinely mystified.

"After all of that, nobody was happy, nobody left their homes, nobody did anything! Then, all of a sudden, I had the power to change all that! And I did! If I could do that, why can't I do this? If I believe it, I will succeed!" She said optimistically.

Puck smiled at her, genuinely inspired by her faith, but a key point still nagged at him.

"That's great but...the others are all missing...maybe dead." He said, looking down. Instead of bringing the mood down, however, Tina responded with a fiery chirp so optimistic that it brought him to his feet.

"They aren't!" She grinned sharply. "Have a little faith, we'll find them."

And that was how Puck found himself walking down a frigid beach; eyes peeled for the bodies of his friends, praying that any he found would not be corpses.

"What happened?" He asked, mostly just to fill the silence. "After you got knocked overboard, I mean."

Tina frowned and reflected on that.

"I tried to hold onto Blaine, but he kept telling me how cold he was, and his skin was turning blue..." She said. "I was still doing fine, but he doesn't have the body type for the cold, and I could tell that he was dying relatively quickly..."

Puck felt his heart skip a beat. This did not sound like a story with a happy ending.

"And...?" He prompted her so quietly that he barely whispered.

"I found a piece of driftwood, probably from some other boat that ran into that serpent's domain. It wasn't very big, and I was losing energy, so I made an executive decision, and I hauled him up onto it." She smiled, pleased with herself. "Then I prayed as my arms gave out and I fell unconscious. When you found me, my prayers had been answered, and I watched over you until I saw the sun come up. I spotted the shore and I swam towards it with the raft, but I noticed something."

She paused and walked him to the edge of the sea where the waves lapped at their toes.

"The current drags everything this way!" She said.

Puck nodded, observing nature at work.

"Yes. Yes it does." He nodded.

"So...?" Tina prompted him.

Determined not to be outwitted he pursed his lips and thought about it. They had all been lost to the sea, he'd witnessed it himself, and if there was a current pulling towards the shore, then maybe...maybe everybody else drifted this way too!

"The others are here!" He realized. "Somewhere on the beach!"

Tina nodded and clapped her hands excitedly for him.

"Exactly!" She let her eyes flicker out to the ocean and froze. "Puck!"

Tina grabbed his arm and whipped him around, pointing out into the waves where a familiar vessel was floating towards them with two bodies draped over the wood.

Puck wasted no time. His throat was still raw from breathing in sand, but he hadn't swallowed water like Tina had, and his lungs were strong from years of living in or around the Mines. With this in mind, he dove into the water and began front crawling like his life depended on it.

The other half of the raft, the one that had vanished with Sam and Kitty on the other side of a split tidal wave, was bouncing on the waves along the coast. Puck, thanks to years of strengthening his body and mind on the land, swam faster than even he thought possible.

As he neared, he saw somebody on the raft stir and jump up in excitement. The raft wobbled as its balance was upset and he saw a body slumped over the side tumble into the water as the first individual immediately sank back to their knees.

"Puck!" The person from the boat yelled.

He recognized her as Quinn as he neared her.

"Get Finn!" She yelled, features etched with guilt and worry.

"Gah!" Finn burst from the water almost directly beside Puck and he gave a shout of surprise. "My junk is cold!"

Puck and Quinn both sighed, relieved that instead of drowning him, the cold water had jolted Finn from his sleep. Puck and Quinn locked eyes and she sighed and rested her head on her knees, waterlogged hair still plastered to the back of her head.

"What happened to you guys?" Puck asked as he grabbed hold of the raft and began to slowly kick back towards shore where Tina was waiting.

"I never let go of the raft." Quinn explained, lifting her head up and squinting in the sun. "When I fell in, I grabbed a loose piece of bark on the underside. I could feel the snake swimming around me, so I flattened myself against the bottom and held my breath for as long as I could."

"You didn't see my sister?" Puck asked and Quinn frowned.

"At one point, the raft flipped and I could hear splashing around me, so I forced myself to open my eyes. I saw Kitty kicking towards the surface with Sam in her arms, but he was knocked out and she was fighting. I tried to go help her, but the snake cut between us and hit the raft with its tail." Quinn paused and frowned in memory.

"It didn't-" Puck started but Quinn cut him off.

"No, it was just going back to its territory; we'd drifted out of it by that point. It didn't attack either of them, but it sent me off course with the raft, and I ran out of air so I had to come up. I was too afraid to let go of the raft, so I climbed on top and swam it over to where I had seen them, but I couldn't find them again." She frowned. "I'm sorry."

Puck sighed.

"It's not your fault, I'm sure they're fine." He said, and he decided to take a page from Tina's book and have faith.

He felt his feet brush sand and he stood up in the water, walking the raft closer to the land. Finn splashed through the water ahead of him and Tina ran to him, holding him at arm's length to examine him for wounds.

Wounds...Puck gingerly touched his own bruises, wincing at the pain.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked.

"Fine." He said. "Just a little sore."

She frowned sympathetically and hopped off of the raft once they were in shallow water, helping him to drag it onto the beach. The two of them joined up with Finn and Tina just in time for her to ask him what had happened to him.

"Mercedes pulled me into the water, and then she didn't let go of my hand for a really long time." Finn started, using his hands to emphasise his words.

Puck felt a tug on his heartstrings. Mercedes! He'd forgotten about her! Was she okay? Had she survived the close call at sea? He had heard her story; the emotional scarring was not going to go away, she didn't need any more pain! And _he _didn't need any more loss!

"What happened?" He prompted impatiently, earning curious looks from the girls and an annoyed one from Finn.

"I was getting there!"

"Get there faster." Puck snapped, not in the mood for beating around the bush.

"I lost her. She got tired and then she just stopped swimming, I couldn't ho-"

"You just let her go?" Puck yelled, infuriated. "She could be dead now becau-"

"I didn't let her go on purpose! My arms gave out! I-"

"You should've-"

"Puck!" Quinn yelled, reaching out and touching his arms gently, pushing him away from Finn and trying to sooth him and scold him simultaneously with her eyes. She turned back to Finn and Kurt. "We're going for a walk, don't wander."

Puck frowned as Quinn grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the other two, who were looking at him with uncertainty clear in their eyes.

"Everybody is having a hard time right now Puck, we all need to keep our heads up if we're going to get through it. I'm sure you didn't survive on your own by being negative, it's the same with the group." She tisked.

Puck frowned, he felt like a schoolchild being lectured by the teacher because he'd done something naughty. He did feel bad, sort of, and he would apologize! Quinn just didn't understand...

"I understand why you did it." She said and he stopped so suddenly that she almost kept walking. She paused and looked back at him. "What?"

"N-nothing..." He mumbled and caught back up with her. His people skills were clearly a little bit off after three years of solitude. "You understand?"

"Of course I do! Sam and Brittney are my childhood best friends, and Rachel is the best friend I've ever had, don't tell them that."

"If I have the chance I'll be sure not to." He said dryly.

"But I'm worried about Blaine because I love him. Just like you're worried about Mercedes for the same reason."

Instead of denying it, Puck sat down in the sand, looked out to sea and straight up asked her; "Is it love?"

Quinn smiled at his naivety and sat down next to him.

"Looks that way to me. You want to protect her, even when you know you can't. She's all you think about when your mind wanders, you care badly about her...tell me something, what would you do if you met Coal?"

"Knock his teeth out." He said without thinking. "Then feed them to him."

Quinn laughed and cringed simultaneously.

"Yeah, I think its love."

"Because I want to knock somebody's face in for her?"

"Exactly."

"Huh..." He let this sink in. "Do I deserve love?" He asked.

Puck was at the point where he had to confide in somebody. Maybe he'd only known Quinn for a few days, but she was there, and he was confused, and, even if it was for a limited time, he'd lowered his barriers to let her in.

Did he deserve love? He'd left his family and friends to fight for themselves against an army, he'd almost singlehandedly sent an entire town spiralling into the depths of despair, he'd become a recluse for three years. He didn't even have a clear idea what love was, just that it made him sick and elated at the same time.

It wasn't that he hadn't heard of love in Fayhaven, he'd just never experienced it for himself, and now that he was...he wasn't sure if he liked this feeling called love or not. Maybe he should've talked to Rachel, though there was a good chance that she was still lost at sea. She seemed to be pretty heavily involved in love herself.

"Puck..." Quinn said softly, and so slowly. "You deserve love and so much more. You're a great guy, and I'm sure Mercedes will see that. We'll find her, and then you can show her that love. She deserves a guy like you, especially after everything she's been through."

Puck took a deep breath.

"What if she doesn't feel the same?"

"Then you'll know that you tried." Quinn said. "I know that's not the most comforting thing to say, but it's better to seize the day, and see where things go, than it is to watch the chances pass by. Maybe she'll say no, and we move on as we are now. Maybe she says yes, and you start something that dissolves in a few weeks and then you move on as you are now. Maybe she says yes and you get married one day and start a family. Nobody knows for sure, you've just got to hope that everything works itself out."

Puck absorbed this information. Maybe Quinn was right, he just had to have hope, and if Mercedes wasn't the one for him, for whatever reason, then one day, he'd find somebody else who made him sick and happy at the same time.

He smiled.

He would go for it. He would tell Mercedes how he felt! He would have hope, and he would seize the day. After all, he only had one life to live!

He paused and looked at Quinn.

Well, two lives, in special cases.

"Help!"

Quinn and Puck both looked at one another, eyes wide, muscles tense. Then they were off, shooting across the sand towards the sound like arrows flying from a bow.

As Puck ran he reached back and felt for his quiver. It was still there, and still stocked! His bow was also present, as was his axe. The only thing to have slipped from his possession was one of the daggers he usually kept on his hip.

"Help!" The person called out again and Quinn and Puck whipped around the side of a bend to find Santana having a stare down with a bear, Kurt and Brittney standing behind her and watching the huge animal roar.

Puck and Quinn both froze suddenly and they heard the footsteps of Finn and Tina catching up to them from behind.

"What do we do?" Kurt whispered harshly.

Santana went to turn her head but Rachel's voice rang out suddenly.

"Don't look away!" She yelled.

Tina, Quinn, Puck, Kurt and Finn all whipped their heads around as the siblings strolled into view. Her eyes were locked on the bear whose eyes were locked on Santana's.

"You're in the middle of a battle for dominance." Rachel said. "You look away and you die. It hasn't attacked you yet, so it's protecting something, most likely her children, back away slowly but don't move your eyes." She commanded.

Santana nodded and slowly began to do so. The bear growled and swept at him with a paw, but Santana was far beyond reach, and the bear did not advance, which meant it didn't think of Santana as food.

Rachel and Blaine stood just off to the side as the others all backed away towards her. They were both poised and ready to intervene if things got messy. Thankfully, when

Santana was far enough away, the animal turned away and pushed back into the trees. Seconds later they heard the young whining of bear cubs nearby.

Rachel sighed with relief and turned to the others.

"Cubs, I thought so. You're all safe now."

"Where are the others?" Blaine asked, crossing to Quinn's side and hugging her distractedly. "Sam, Kitty and Mercedes?"

"Hold on!" Quinn said, looking around at the five newcomers. "What happened to you guys?"

Santana smiled and hugged Brittney tightly from the side.

"Brittney caught me when I went under, and we stayed together by treading water and linking one leg with each other. Eventually, we saw land and we started swimming towards it, but I saw somebody floating just off the coast." Santana looked over at Kurt who smiled at her. "It was Kurt, and I dragged his scrawny ass onto the beach. I gave him CPR and he coughed up water, and woke up!"

"I swam until I saw land." Rachel explained. "I found Blaine unconscious on a board washed up nearby and smacked him until he woke up."

Blaine rubbed his jaw as if he could still feel the pain.

"I repeat." He said. "Where are Sam-"

"Wake up!" Somebody yelled from just around the bend.

They all paused and looked around.

"That was Sam's voice..." Rachel whispered.

Puck felt his throat tighten up, there were three people missing; his sister, the girl he was in love with, and Sam. If it was Sam who was yelling, than one of the two people he cared the most for in the world was in trouble.

Puck booted away from his spot, kicking up sand in his haste and scrambling over his own feet as he almost lost his balance. He practically flew across the bend and didn't even pause as he took in the sight before him.

Sam was pumping Mercedes's chest and then kneeling down to check her breathing, shaking his head as tears fell from his eyes. Kitty stood behind him, one hand to her lips, eyes brimming with tears of her own.

"-my fault, all my fault." Sam was rambling.

"Mercedes!" Puck cried, diving to the sand and physically shoving Sam out of the way.

Sam fell onto his rear and curled his knees up, resting his forehead on top of them and shaking his head frantically.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

In some far off part of Puck's mind he saw Rachel running past him and holding onto Sam, murmering soothing words into his ear that didn't reach Puck through the rushing sound of his own blood pumping past his ears as adrenaline filled his body.

He pressed his hands against Mercedes's chest and pumped hard enough to leave a bruise, but she didn't stir. He pumped again, and nothing. A third time yielded similar results. Puck knelt down, pinched her nose, opened her mouth and breathed air into her lungs.

"Come on..." He heard Brittney pleading behind him, Tina was standing just behind him, holding onto the cross around her neck.

Pump, pump, pump, breath!

Nothing.

Pump, pump, pump, breath!

Nothing.

Puck watched as his tears fell down onto Mercedes's cheeks.

"Wake up!" He cried, his voice cracking. "Wake. Up!"

He grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her violently.

"Puck! Puck!" Blaine knelt down beside him and grabbed his shoulders, holding him back.

"No!" He broke free of Blaine's hold and dropped his face onto Mercedes's stomach, his hands grabbing her limp ones with as much force as he could muster.

Finn looked down as Puck sobbed into Mercedes's shirt and felt shell shocked. She'd just been saved from death, how was the world cruel enough to take her now? Puck had formed a connection with her, they all had! Brittney, Sam, Quinn, Kurt, they were all staring down at the biracial beauty, so full of compassion, lying drowned on the beach.

Puck choked suddenly and his head shot upright.

"Mercedes?" He whispered.

"What?" Brittney stepped forwards, looking over Puck's head.

"I...her fingers...twitched. That's not normal right? That means she must still be-"

Mercedes gasped and bolted upright, immediately hacking up water onto the sand at her side. She held her hands out and propped herself up, coughing so harshly that tears came to her eyes and dropped with her saliva and sea water to the ground below.

She was vaguely aware of people holding her tightly, and when she wiped the tears from her eyes, she found Puck, Brittney and Tina all gripping her in a vice, hugging any part of her that they could reach.

"What's wrong?" She rasped, voice rough from tearing up her throat.

Puck and Brittney seemed beyond responding, but Santana smiled through her tears and locked eyes with Mercedes.

"You're alive Wheezy!"

Sam could barely even register that Mercedes was alive. All that he could think, not for the first time, was that he was putting them in danger! Mercedes was happy in Violetedge until Sam showed up. Thanks to him, her home was burnt to the ground! Destroyed! She would have died if it weren't for Brittney, and it would've been all Sam's fault!

Blaine and Rachel had been safe in their forest. They led a comfortable life, even if it was antisocial. They befriended the wildlife, they lived off the land, they were fine. Then Sam showed up and refused to let them say no once he got his idea into his head.

He was selfish! Selfish! If he had just led Quinn somewhere comfortable and bunkered down to hide like the siblings had done, like Mercedes had done, like Puck and Finn had done, then maybe they would all be safer! Quinn would never have died! Mercedes wouldn't have had to cheat death twice! Kurt never would've almost become snake food! Tina never would've had to leave her safe, comfortable life.

"Stop it." Rachel hissed to him.

"What?" He glared at her.

"You're not putting us in danger, I'm tired of you acting like this! It's your decisions that have kept us alive Sam!" Rachel snapped.

"How did you know-"

"For once, your emotions were plastered across your face."

Sam sighed.

"I'm the reason you keep getting hurt. All of you!" He looked out at the others, but Brittney, Puck and Kurt refused to take their attention away from Mercedes. Sam didn't blame them. "You were all fine before I came and screwed you all up."

"I wasn't." Quinn said quietly, looking almost offended that he would even suggest such a thing. "Even before they tried to kill me, I wasn't fine. This journey helped fix me. I discovered the value of love, and I learned to hope." She said, not with a dazed inspirational expression, but with one of deadly seriousness.

"I learned that I belonged." Santana said.

"I discovered friendship..." Blaine swallowed hard.

"I found my faith." Tina added. "We may have seemed fine on the outside Sam, but nobody here was alright internally."

"Yeah well at least you were all still alive!" Sam snapped at her.

"We _are _all still alive." Tina said tersely.

"Quinn _died_!" Sam said. "Rachel, Blaine, Finn and Santana _almost_ died in the forest! Mercedes has almost died twice! How many times do we cheat death before we run out of luck?"

Finn frowned and looked at their leader, running a hand through his hair and taking a step forwards.

"Hey..." He said.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Pink: F**kin' Perfect-**

_"Made a wrong turn..." _Finn sang and Sam looked up at him. _"Once or twice."_

Finn shrugged and rested one hand on Sam's shoulder.

_"Dug my way out, blood and fire!"_

_ "Bad decisions..." _Tina shook her head and smiled sympathetically. _"That's alright! Welcome to my silly life." _

Mercedes held Puck's hand and turned where she sat to face their leader.

_ "Mistreated. Misplaced, misunderstood...Miss, "no way, it's all good"" _With Puck's help she stood up. _"It didn't slow me down."_

Kitty looked down at the ground on Puck's other side, frowning.

_"Mistaken, always second guessin', underestimated...look I'm still around." _She looked up, smiling as Kurt tangled their fingers together, walking up on her other side and picking up the song.

_"Pretty, pretty please! Don't you ever, ever feel!" _He sang, shaking her head. _"Like you're less than_, _less than perfect!"_

_ "Pretty, pretty please!" _Quinn sang out, reaching down and grabbing Sam's hand. _"If you ever, ever feel! Like you're nothing! You are perfect...to me." _She smiled softly and brought him to his feet as Blaine rose in front of him.

_"You're so mean...when you talk..." _Blaine's eyes were sad as Santana echoed him and Sam felt a pang of guilt. _"About yourself, you are wrong."_

_ "Change the voices..." _Santana sang out, Blaine taking the background parts coming up on Sam's other side. _"In your head. Make them like you instead!"_

The two of them stepped back and Brittney and Puck reached forwards, grabbing Sam's hands and leading him further down the beach as they sang together.

_"So complicated, look happy you'll make it! Filled with so much hatred...such a tired game." _The two of them frowned at him, letting go of his hand and taking a step away. _"It's enough! I've done all I can think of, chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same."_

Sam turned as his other friends parted and Rachel stood up, belting.

_"Oh!" _She wailed. _"Pretty, pretty please! Don't you ever, ever feel, like you're less than, less than perfect!" _

She walked slowly towards him, through the aisle their friends formed.

_"Pretty, pretty please! _She smiled as she grabbed his hands and they turned as the others formed a line across from them. Brittney took a step out on the far end, all grinning eagerly._ "If you ever, ever feel! Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me!"_

"The whole world's scared so I swallow the fear!"Brittney nodded sharply.

"The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer." Puck shrugged.

"So cool in line, and we try, try, try." Quinn frowned.

"But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time." Blaine grabbed her hand.

"Done lookin' for the critics, cause they're everywhere!" Santana scoffed.

"They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair." Tina tossed her head.

"Exchange ourselves, and we do it all the time..." Mercedes frowned.

"Why do we do that?" Kurt asked.

"Why do I do that?" Finn shrugged.

"Why do I do that...?" Sam whispered.

_"Yeah!"_ Rachel belted, pulling him into the crowd of their friends. _"Ohh, oh pretty pretty pretty!"_

_ "Pretty, pretty please!" _Everybody belted and Sam couldn't help but smile. _"Don't you ever, ever feel!"_

_ "Like you're less than! Less than perfect!" _They sang as Rachel adlibbed. _"Pretty, pretty please! If you ever, ever feel, like you're nothing, you are perfect!" _They all dropped out as Rachel carried on.

_"To me! Yeah!" _She belted. _"You're perfect! You're perfect! To me! Yeah!"_

_ "Pretty , pretty please! If you ever, ever feel! Like you're nothin', you are perfect..." _They all stopped again and Rachel turned to pull Sam into a hug. _"To me." _

Sam couldn't help but smile, blinking back tears of happiness as his friends gathered around him in a huge group hug. Eventually, Finn stepped away and looked at Sam with deadly seriousness.

"This isn't about you Sam, and it's not about any one of us. It's about all of us! We're a team, and without any one of us, this never would've gotten as far as it did. If I hadn't pointed you towards Violetedge, none of this would've happened either. If Marley hadn't sent me to intercept you, things would be different. Without Kitty sending us on the hero quest, we'd still be sitting in Tina's bar in Fayhaven. No single person is to blame for all of this, we all decided our own destinies, nobody was forced to tag along. We're all fighting for something, or somebody, or some life that we never had. Yes, I'm almost certain that somebody is going to die before this war is over, but if that guy is me, than I don't want to go down worrying about everything that I did and didn't do. I want to go down feeling proud that I went down for the good of the entire Kingdom, instead of selfishly hiding in the background until some stray soldier found and killed me!" He panted, out of breath and shaking his head. "I'm just being honest here, you've helped so many people, me included, and if you think that makes you a bad person than you're an idiot. We have all been a part of the hurt just as much as we've been a part of the healing, but if I do one thing before I die, I'll convince you that you are a hero, you have always been a hero, and you will die a hero, just like everybody else here. Okay?"

Sam blinked.

"...Okay..." He whispered.

Finn huffed and turned away.

"Okay." He nodded and started walking.

"Where are you going?" Kitty asked.

"To find the entrance. It's time to move forwards."

* * *

**The Price of Magic**

"This is it..." Finn said, swallowing nervously and looking at the large stone tablet that acted as a door to the Icegate Caverns. There was a large draconian insignia carved into the door, with two sapphires as eyes.

"How do we open it?" Kurt asked, looking at it curiously.

"It's an ancient text..." Tina said, stepping up and panning her eyes over the glyphs carved above the dragon. "Brave traveler, beware the ground before you tread, beware the sound before you hear, but above all, beware the beast that guards the tomb of ice, lest it become your tomb as well."

She stood up and frowned at it, turning and glancing over her shoulder at the others.

"It doesn't say anything about how to open it, but there's got to be a way." She said.

"I know how." Blaine said, stepping forwards and tracing his fingers along one of the cracks. "I read about it in a book in the castle library."

"Weren't you like, five when you lived at the castle?" Quinn asked doubtfully.

"Seven." He said defensively. "It said that to enter the cave of the Ice Dragon, you had to see as the dragon saw."

Blaine knelt down in front of the door and peered into one of the sapphire eyes. He saw a small blue fire ignite in the back of the jewel and moved over to the other eye. When that fire lit as well, a shimmering cross appeared in the door and Blaine turned it, stepping back as the door swung inwards.

"Alright..." He swallowed nervously. "Here we go."

The Icegate Caverns were freezing. Breath froze as soon as it left mouths, feet slipped over icy patches riddling the path, friends huddled together in an attempt to conserve body heat. Some of the smaller soldiers were having a tough time dealing with the cold, and had to clamp their teeth together to keep their noise from echoing around the whole cave.

Finn had yet to give up the lead, and marched everybody purposefully forwards. As a result, he fell often, and Sam was always right behind him to catch him and set him back on his feet. The further Finn got into the cave, the more unwound he became.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"I just have a really bad feeling about this place..." Finn whispered back, looking around at the shining, glittering walls.

"What kind of feeling?"

Finn frowned.

"Just make me a promise, alright?" He looked at Sam seriously and Sam shifted uneasily.

"What kind of promise?"

"Just promise me." Finn whispered as they passed through a large archway into a relatively large chamber. "That you'll always be sincere, and that you'll keep the end in sight."

Sam frowned.

"Okay, but-"

They were interrupted as an ear splitting roar filled the chamber. They all turned, one after another to stare as one of the ice covered walls shattered and an enormous light blue dragon stomped forwards. With piercing blue eyes, diamond-hard transparent scales ridging its back and teeth made for tearing things apart, the twelve of them were practically frozen to their spots.

"Fuck." Santana swore.

"Run!" Kitty yelled, sprinting towards the other entrance.

The dragon stomped its feet and a sheet of ice fell from the ceiling and blocked the entrance completely. Kitty whipped out a dagger and stabbed it, but the hilt split off in her hands. She didn't dare try the other weapon.

Kurt took a few faltering steps backwards and then ran towards the entrance from which they'd come, but the dragon stomped its foot down again, roaring as he did, and another sheet of ice came down in front of him, almost hitting him in the foot.

"We're trapped!" Rachel yelled.

"What do we do?" Mercedes asked, nervously inching towards the back, she being the only one who didn't have a weapon.

Finn said nothing, but looked at the dragon with fire in his eyes.

Sam looked around, all eyes on him. He sighed, it was his call...again...

As it turned out, he didn't have to make a decision. The dragon made it for him as it opened its mouth and let loose a blast of blue fire towards them.

"Avoid that! It's deadly!" Rachel grabbed the closest person to her; Brittney, and dove to the ground underneath of it. She saw Blaine take Santana to the ground next to him, both grunting as their chins hit the ice.

The others had managed to stay out of its path, but they all turned as the dragon let out a thinner, more direct line of blue energy. This energy took off like a bullet towards Kurt, who shrieked and tried to brace himself, but the beam hit him and steam immediately rose from his body.

When the steam cleared, Kurt was encased in ice, frozen in the same shrieking pose.

"Kurt!" Mercedes ran towards her, but the dragon lifted into the air and flew forwards, landing directly in front of her and sweeping its tail at her, sending her skidding backwards along the ice and into Sam, both of them skidding to the ground.

The dragon opened its mouth and aimed another ice beam at the pair of them, and Sam barely managed to get between Mercedes and the beam before it had frozen them both to the floor, the two of them cringing like pained statues.

Finn gritted his teeth.

_"You can do this..." _Marley whispered in his head.

Finn rolled his sleeves up and summoned a ball of fire in each hand, sending them flinging towards the two human ice sculptures. The dragon roared as the fireballs began to spin in perpetual motion, melting the magical ice of the beast.

The dragon lunged forwards towards the four who had fallen to the ground, and Blaine rolled out of the way as its foot came down hard, so hard that it shook the entire cavern.

Santana's scream of piercing agony echoed around the room and everybody stared down in shock at where the dragon had put all its weight on her leg, and snapped it like a twig. She broke down on the ground, sobbing, and Brittney tried to crawl towards her, but the dragon swung at the blonde girl with his tail, not only smashing her backwards into the wall over Rachel's head so hard that her head swam and spots erupted in front of her eyes, but cutting her in the chest with her scales.

"Oh my God!" Tina backed up against one wall of the cavern as it turned its eyes on her, and lunged towards her with gaping jaws.

A larger fireball than the others smashed it in the side of the head and knocked it onto its side on the ground, skidding along the floor towards Rachel, who screamed and scrambled out of the way towards Kurt's melting sculpture, which was already almost gone.

"Leave them alone." Finn said, stepping in front of Tina.

Kitty rushed to Tina's side and pulled her away as the dragon shot a huge beam of blue fire at Finn who ducked to the ground and rolled underneath of it as Puck covered Quinn and arched his back as the blue fire burnt through his shirt and left a painful sear across his back.

Kurt gasped as his head was freed and he looked over at the others, Mercedes and Sam broke free moments later, glancing over at where Quinn was nursing Puck's back. Blaine had gone to Santana and was holding her tightly as she sobbed into his sleeve while he looked at the dragon with fear. Rachel had gone to Brittney and was inspecting the back of her bleeding head, forcing the other girl to look at her. Tina and Kitty had retreated to a small corner of the room and were watching, holding one another close.

There wasn't a person in that room who didn't know that this battle was over their heads.

The dragon turned and opened its mouth, charging up a beam of blue fire at Kitty and Tina. Both girls screamed as the dragon unleashed an enormous burst at them. There was no way that they could escape, they were trapped! That fire would kill them both.

"Hey!" Finn yelled, stepping in between them and extending both of his palms, shooting a massive torrent of fire back at the huge dragon.

"Finn!" Kitty yelled. "What are you doing?"

Finn turned and looked over his shoulder, smiling.

"Being a hero, what does it look like?" He turned back to the dragon as the fires hit one another and began a battle for dominance. The dragon stomped its foot and its fire grew in intensity. Finn gritted his teeth and tensed all of his muscles as he was enveloped in his own fire, staring out at the dragon as his power grew.

"Finn!" Sam yelled.

Finn looked at him sadly.

"You can't win this! You'll die!" Sam continued.

"You're wrong." Finn said. "I've got this!" He stomped his own foot on the ground and the dragon retaliated by opening his mouth wider, both flames grew and the energy flare between the two of them began to pulse crazily in a blinding white light.

"Finn!" Kitty yelled.

He turned and looked at her, then around at the others, one by one he locked eyes with them all; Kitty, Kurt, Puck, Quinn, Blaine, Santana, Rachel, Brittney, Tina, Mercedes and finally, Sam.

"Stay strong. Stay sincere. Don't fight your feelings, but don't wallow in things that you didn't have the power to change either. Go out there and win this war for me. Don't let all of this be in vain." He smiled sadly.

The power of the two beams broke and the red and blue flames spiralled around each other, simultaneously going in both directions at once. Finn smiled as the blue fire hit him at full power, immersing him completely.

"Goodbye..." He whispered before the light became too much for everybody else and they were forced to look away.

When the light died down, the dragon was on its side on the other end of the cavern, and Finn was slowly falling to the ground at the front.

"Finn!" Kitty yelled, sprinting towards him.

Sam got their first, catching him before his head hit the ice and holding him close, tears streaming down Sam's face.

"Finn!" Sam sobbed, shaking him. "Finn!"

A light green light shimmered out of Finn, making a cloud in the air. Sam looked up into it as it lit the cavern. Sam watched as a dark figure slowly approached Quinn and Bruce on a bridge. Sam watched himself tackle the figure.

_"Ooh my butt!"_

_Sam paused, fists raised to punch the boy beneath him in the face._

_"Excuse me?" Sam paused._

_"You like, broke my butt!" The boy said, contorting his face into an accusatory gaze. "I use that."_

_"I...I was trying to protect my friends..." Sam stammered._

_"Well you didn't have to hurt my butt... It's not like I was gonna use it as a weapon." He said. "Wait, can you do that?" He beamed with childish excitement._

_"You don't work for the King?" Quinn asked, approaching them._

_"No I do not work for the King, do you know why I don't? Because the King, is a fucking __asshole!"__ He nodded affirmatively. "Now c'mon man, get off of me."_

_Sam paused._

_"Uh...please?"_

Sam was surprised to find himself barking a laugh at that. It seemed like so long ago.

_"I am Finn Hudson." He said. "I was waiting here for you, for like, a really long time, and I got really hungry, but I just kept on waiting, and then you broke my butt...so you're welcome."_

Mercedes watched as Coal strolled into the scene, Finn had jumped onto the banister and was watching him. Coal's niece was beside him and Mercedes fought the distaste in her mouth.

_"You there!" Coal boomed. _

_ "Who, me?" He acted confused. _

_ "Why are you sitting on a bridge?" Ree asked judgementally. _

_ "Why are you not sitting on a bridge?" _

_ "Now, have you seen a small group of fugitives run past here?" _

_ "Do they run like this?" Finn flailed his arms wildly and sprinted off in the other direction, wailing. Coal and his niece stared after him until he'd disappeared. _

_ "Is he gonna come back...?" She wondered aloud. _

_ "I...I don't know..." Coal stammered._

Quinn snickered at that, and the scene in the cloud changed to Sam, Bruce and her hiding beneath the bridge. She watched Finn sneak up behind her, and shook her head in anticipation.

_ "Boo!" Finn yelled._

_ She screamed and fell back into the river. _

Quinn watched as she was fished out of the river by her friends and dragged up in front of a cackling Finn.

_"How did you get back here so stealthily?" Quinn panted. "Are you some kind of ninja?"_

_ "I'm a wizard!" He posed beaming._

_ "Alright than!" Sam nodded sharply. _

_ "Yeah, anyways, you guys...should...go to...Violetedge." Finn nodded, pursing his lips._

_ "Violetedge?" Bruce asked. "Why Violetedge? That wasn't a part of my plan."_

_ "Well, your plan, is dumb as shit!"_

_ "Hey!" Bruce gawked._

_ "Are you the most powerful magical sorceress in the whole kingdom? No? Then shut the hell up about your plan, because, I said so. Done. There. Goodbye." He turned and ran off into the forest. _

Blaine groaned and covered his eyes as he remembered the next scene.

_"Yeah, but he's not here!"_ Sam was yelling in frustration. _"We really needed his help!" He cried._

_"Sorry I was eating..." Finn mumbled awkwardly. _

Blaine watched as the five of them that had been in the group at the time whipped out their weapons and turned to face the intruder.

_"What?" Finn raised his arms, shrugging overdramatically and giving them a cheesy smile._

_ "Stop doing that!" Quinn cried. _

_ "Where did you even come from?" Blaine laughed. _

_ "Well..." Finn started. "When a man and a woman love-"_

_ "Never mind!" _

Rachel smiled wearily, remembering that night on the bridge so long ago.

Puck grinned and laughed, shaking his head and wiping his eyes. It was hard to not remember Finn as that happy-go-lucky person he was when they were friends four years earlier.

The memories continued, on and on; Santana and Finn pretending to be a married couple in an attempt to get out of jail. Finn talking back to the guard outside of his cell. The confrontation with the Pied Piper and Finn's retelling of his story. Rachel hugging him and Sam and Finn's fireside heart to heart. Meeting Kitty for the first time and the speech to his parents. Even snippets of conversation from his night with Kitty popped up, not enough to show what had happened, but enough to remind her and everybody else of his soft side. When the memories finally came to a close, and Finn just lay there, so still, and so pale, and so cold, nobody could help but cry.

* * *

_**Yeah...so...that just happened. Next chapter is a huge one content-wise. The team reels with the death of Finn Hudson, and fissures appear between them all. As each member of the group unravels and finds themselves at odds with the others, one deals with their pain in the worst way, and must then deal with the consequences. When the dust has settled, somebody else lies dead, and the team must fight on. With casualties lining up, the team splits into two. With infection setting into Santana's leg, things begin to look dark for her and Brittney, and when Rachel comes face to face with her mother, everything she's been avoiding comes crashing down on her. **_

_**Read and review, because believe me, you WANT the next chapter updated as soon as possible. It is so good. It's shorter than the others, because there's so much epic that I didn't want to bomb you with epic. Besides, the chapter after the next one is titled Healing, so obviously it's not as OMFG WHAT?! As the next one is. :)**_

_**REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW! :D**_


	13. Chapter 13

****_**So this is the chapter where several things come to a head, but that's all I'll say about it. Enjoy!**_

**Repentance**

_ "Did I do that?"_ A deep, mournful voice filled the room.

Sam looked up to find the Ice Dragon standing up again. Sam felt tears of hopelessness stinging his nose, but the dragon shook its head.

_"I was under a spell, I'm not anymore..." _It paused, now dark eyes still transfixed on Finn. _"Did I do that? To him? Did I kill that boy?" _

"Yes." Puck said bitterly.

_"The King's right hand woman has the dragons under magical control...I couldn't help it!" _The dragon frowned, anxious for them to believe him.

Rachel and Blaine exchanged a look. Their mother was responsible for Finn's death, and the deaths of so many other children all over the Kingdom.

_"I must redeem myself." _The dragon said. _"I ask that you accompany me, to free my siblings."_

Sam snapped. He was frustrated, he was angry, he was pissed at the entire fucking world. He didn't want to add more to their journey, he just wanted it to be over. He wanted the threat of death to stop hanging over his head like a storm cloud at every turn. He hadn't asked for this! His only wish had been to know more about his father, but if this was the price he paid for the little knowledge he'd gained, then he'd rather live ignorantly.

"No!" Sam snapped. "You know what, we don't have time!"

"What?" Blaine looked confused. "Sam, this is huge! If we get the dragons on _our _side, we stand a way better chance!"

"The army must suspect a resistance is being put together! They'll be putting more and more guards on Marley. If we wait any longer, we're not going to be able to get to her." Sam said.

"But Sam-" Quinn started.

"_Finn said to get Marley!" _Sam snapped, almost to the point of hysterics.

"_This is not the place for this." _The Ice Dragon roared and they all fell silent. "_Follow me, I'll lead you from my cave."_

* * *

The eleven of them fell silent as they followed the large predator from his domain. Sam refused to set Finn down until they were outside, where he set him on a snow bank surrounded by tall pine trees that lined the cave.

The dragon continued to lead them until they reached a large clearing, before he turned back around.

"_Now, this is not my plan to make. Do you want my services or not?"_

"Yes." Blaine said, at the same time as Sam said no. Blaine turned to him, exasperated. "Sam, we need as much help as we can get! I'm sure Marley's great, but she's not as powerful as five dragons!"

"He killed Finn!" Sam spat, pointing at the dragon. "Who says the other dragons won't kill us if we try to get them? Finn was the only one who stood a chance against this one, who will save us when we're fighting another flesh-hungry dragon."

"He was under a spell." Quinn stepped in, trying to smooth the situation.

"They'll _all _be under a spell!" Sam snapped again.

"We have a dragon on our side! What better to fix other dragons, _than _a dragon!" Blaine growled.

"It's a _stupid_ plan!" Sam snapped.

Blaine narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, thought better of it, and turned to storm away through the snow. Rachel let out a growl of irritation and jogged off after him.

* * *

"Blaine!" Rachel yelled as her brother slowed to lean against a tree.

He looked up at her, almost in relief that it was she who had followed him.

"Can you believe him?" Blaine asked, gesturing back in the direction of the others.

"Yes." Rachel said flatly, shrugging. "I'm sorry, but you're being unnecessarily controversial. We don't need this kind of tension right now."

Blaine's jaw dropped and he narrowed his eyes.

"Are you serious? I'm being controversial? He's the one who's jumping down my throat!"

"He's grieving." Rachel said.

"We're _all_ grieving." Blaine said. "He's supposed to be leading us Rachel, I know it's sad that Finn died, but we still have to focus on the big picture. Five dragons would be a greater force to reckon with than one girl."

Rachel shook her head.

"We still promised Finn we'd find her. _And _she's the one that kept Quinn as alive as she was, without her, Quinn would be dead."

"I appreciate that!" Blaine said. "But that doesn't change the fact that-"

"Sam's right!" Rachel cut him off. "Get over it!"

Blaine paused and blinked, stepping back.

"You don't believe that..." He said slowly. "You're siding with Sam because you love him, not because you think he's right."

Rachel blushed.

"I-"

"I'm your _brother_ Rachel!" Blaine snapped, even though, in some small part of his brain he knew that that was an unfair thing to say. He'd told her to go after Sam in the first place, after all.

She took a deep, furious breath and glared at him.

"You know that's unfair."

"Well maybe Sam's not the only one who should be looking at this objectively."

"You don't think Quinn's going to side with you?" Rachel accused him.

"Quinn can think for herself!" Blaine snapped. "Go back to Sam."

"Fine!" Rachel yelled.

"Fine!" Blaine yelled back.

"That's simply-" She started.

"Fine!" He finished and they turned away from each other, storming off in different directions.

* * *

Rachel was so infuriated that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going until she ran into Puck head on. They both pressed their hands to their heads and backed up to look where they were going.

Brittney looked up from where she was standing with Tina and Santana nearby. Somebody had retrieved a large stick for Santana to use as a crutch and they watched the two curiously.

"Maybe you should take a breath..." Puck suggested, reaching out and steadying Rachel.

She shook him off and glared at him.

"Oh do you? Lots of people telling me what to do lately, aren't there?" She snapped unfairly.

Puck stepped back and narrowed his eyes.

"I was just trying to be objective, but if you want to talk about it then let's talk about it." He said. "_You're wrong."_

"Excuse me?"

"You're wrong!" Puck said. "And even if you're right, why would you willingly walk away from your own sibling? I lost my si-"

"Your sister, yeah, we know. It's all very tragic. You just keep using that as an excuse." Rachel practically mumbled before turning and walking past him. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to a halt.

"An excuse?" He growled dangerously. "What's that supposed to mean."

"We get that your story is sad." Rachel said. "We _all _have sad stories!"

"Yeah, and you know what kept you from killing yourself in _your _story? You still had your family with you." Puck snapped and turned away.

"Well why should _I_ have to change _my_ mind than?" Rachel yelled after him. "Why shouldn't he?"

"Because you're leaving him for another person! You're deliberately choosing somebody else, over him! That'd be like me letting Kitty die because _I_ wanted to chill with Mercedes!" Puck snapped over his shoulder, storming past Brittney as Rachel ran in the other direction.

"I don't understand..." Brittney mumbled under her breath. "It's none of his business…"

"Was I talking to you?" Puck asked, turning around and flexing his fists.

"No." Brittney said simply. "But you were yelling loudly enough that any soldiers nearby are definitely on their way here. Good job."

"Are you serious? You're gonna sit there and judge me?" Puck asked.

"Yes."

"Man, fuck you." Puck shook his head with disgust and walked away.

"Brittney..." Tina started. "Puck understands how important sibling love is...he's not wrong."

"You're against Sam too?" Brittney asked dejectedly. "Oh..."

"I'm just playing Devil's advocate!" Tina said. "He's right that when family has gone through that much together, they shouldn't just decide that somebody else is important."

"How would you know?" Brittney asked. "You left your family. Isn't that hypocritical of what you just said? You left your family to come with us."

Tina gasped and recoiled as if she'd hit her.

"It's not like I ran away, my Dad knows where I am! Besides, you left your family too!"

"Not by choice! Nobody left their families by choice except for you and Santana, and your family, from what I hear, wasn't that bad!"

"You didn't live with them!" Tina said, getting riled up. "You ran away from your father because he wanted you to work regular hours! My family made me work two jobs, and still expected the world from me! At least you had _friends_!"

"Well I can see why you didn't!" Brittney snapped, not because she believed it, because she was stressed out. That didn't stop Tina from slapping her across the face.

"How _dare _you?" Tina spat and turned away.

She gasped as Santana slapped her back.

"Don't touch my girlfriend again." Santana snapped coldly.

Tina gasped, rubbing her face. She turned and ran off into the snow and Brittney looked at Santana curiously.

"Girlfriend?"

"Can we not talk about this right now? I'm not really in a loving mood."

* * *

Rachel was still grumbling when she found herself by a campfire that had been created by Sam and Quinn.

"I'm so furious." She said, growling and sitting down next to him. "I told him that he was wrong, and then got into a fight with Puck who was being dumb, then I heard Tina sticking her nose into it when Brittney tried to defend me and- agh!"

Sam didn't move from where he was looking into the fire.

"You're just stirring up trouble." He said quietly.

Rachel slowly turned her head until she was staring straight at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You're stirring up trouble."

"I'm defending _you_!"

"I can defend myself."

"Oh yeah, I can tell." Rachel stood up. "I'm stirring up trouble? You started this whole argument, now most of your team is off bickering with one another and you're just sitting there passing judgement like some sort of God. Good leadership Sam, good leadership."

She turned and walked away, practically steaming with anger.

Quinn frowned and looked at Sam, waiting to see what he would do.

Sam reached into his pocket as tears began to fall down his face again, and pulled out his father's note, reading it over and over again until the words became blurs behind the tears in his eyes.

* * *

Kitty couldn't take this. It was like everything she had said in that cave had been balled up and thrown away. Nobody cared that they were forming rifts between themselves. If they couldn't trust one another to watch their backs, then who could they trust?

Finn's death was sad, but nobody was reacting in the right way! Nobody had suggested a funeral! Nobody had suggested sitting down and splitting their forces to try and achieve both goals! Everybody just insisted that they were right, and then brought personal issues into it.

Kitty dropped her bag on the ground and knelt down against a tree on the edge of the forest. She heard it clunk against a root and paused, looking at it. Slowly, she picked it up and dug down deep into the bottom.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Kerrie Roberts: Rescue Me-**

Her hand closed around the locket, and she drew it out, looking at it.

* * *

Rachel dropped to her knees and stared down at her reflection in the frozen over river that she'd happened upon. She looked at her crying eyes, and saw ghostly images of all of her friends standing behind her.

_"This waking nightmare lingers...when will the mirror stop telling lies?" _One by one, the figures in the ice turned and walked away. _"I don't know where I've been...or where I'm going. But I can't do it alone..."_

Rachel pulled back, curling in on herself and crying.

_"I'm reaching out..."_

* * *

Sam jumped to his feet, staring up at the sky, note in hand.

_"Rescue me!" _He felt tears streaming down his face. _"Show me who I am!"_

He raised his arms, note still firmly held in one hand.

_"Cause I can't believe, this is how the story ends!"_

* * *

_ "Fight for me!" _Blaine growled as he stormed through the open expanse of snow in a vain attempt to run away from his problems, if only for a little while. _"If it's not too late! Help me breath again!"_

He turned and looked back towards the campfire.

_"No this can't be how the story ends!" _

He closed his eyes as a tear leaked from his eyes.

* * *

Brittney sighed and leaned her head back against a tree, closing her eyes.

_"I'm locked up and waiting for you...I've lost so much more than, I'll ever know..."_

* * *

Mercedes knelt on the ground, crying into her knees. Finn was gone, and their family was falling apart.

_"Love has the truth forgotten, find me now..." _She paused and across the forest, Brittney joined her. _"Before I lose it all...I'm crying out!"_

* * *

_ "Rescue me!" _Tina stared up into the sky, hand clutching her cross. _"Show me who I am! Cause I can't believe, this is how the story ends!"_

* * *

_ "Fight for me!"_ Santana yelled, punching a tree to diffuse her anger. _"If it's not too late! Help me breath again!" _

She dropped to his knees and leant against the tree, sighing.

_ "No this can't be how the story ends..."_

* * *

Quinn looked up at Sam, softly singing the bridge as she did. He was so strong, and so broken all at the same time. The problem was that she didn't know how to fix him...did anybody? She had a hunch that it had something to do with the siblings, maybe Santana too, but that was out of her hands...and that scared her.

* * *

_"Rescue me!" _Puck wailed, stomping the ground as he stormed through the trees. _"Show me who I am! Cause I can't believe!"_

* * *

_ "I can't believe!" _Kurt sang, leaning against the Ice Dragon's paw.

* * *

_"This is how the story ends!" _Puck finished.

* * *

_"Fight for me!" _Kitty sang, raising the locket to eye level. _"If it's not too late."_

* * *

_ "Not too late." _Kurt sighed.

* * *

_"Help me breath again..." _Kitty sang and took a deep breath. _"No this can't be how the story ends."_

She flicked it open.

_"Hello Kitty..."_

* * *

Puck was pissed, pissed that everything was falling apart, but at the same time, he wondered if it was only natural. They were very similar people, that was true, but they were all also different. Maybe it didn't matter who was right and who was wrong, just that there were two sides.

Yes...he realized. There were always two sides to a story, and it was a matter of perspective which was good and which was bad. Even their journey had two sides, the soldiers of the King and the soldiers of Sam. Those who thrived under the King probably saw themselves as good citizens being savagely attacked by people trying to disrupt the balance of things.

Puck wasn't condoning their actions, just realizing that there _were_ two sides, just like now. Shocked, he realized all of a sudden that it didn't matter! Sure, people fought sometimes, but that didn't change all of the good that they'd done.

He smiled and broke into a jog, eager to share his realization with somebody.

* * *

Rachel, meanwhile, was realizing something very similar.

She sat back and she decided to that she had a few apologies to make. Everybody had been stressed because of Finn, and she hadn't done anything to help that. Nobody else had either, but that wasn't anybody's fault. It was hard to think straight when a bond that was keeping you together was broken.

They just had to form new bonds and move forwards, instead of arguing about what was the right move, maybe they should try both!

She loved her brother, and she loved Sam, and she knew that she would follow Sam because Blaine was happier mentally than Sam was. That was what a teammate did. That was what anybody did for somebody they loved, and just as surely as Rachel knew this, she knew that Blaine and Sam would both accept that.

She hopped to her feet and moved off to find her friends.

* * *

Unfortunately, neither Puck, nor Rachel, got to share their revelations that night. Instead, they both came upon the same event; Kitty, closing her locket, just after Riker's shimmering face informed her that he was already almost there.

"Kitty!" They both yelled, coming out of the trees on either side of her.

She jumped and stood up, looking from one to the other, terror in her eyes.

"What have you done?" Puck asked.

"I- He said we'd be safe if I just helped him!"

"What about the rest of us?" Rachel asked, less angry at Kitty than afraid for the others.

"I didn't think about that! I just had to make sure Puck and I were going to be okay, and everybody was yelling and I-I didn't think!" She cried.

"Finn wouldn't have wanted that." Puck said. "_I _don't want that! We're still a family, not just you and I, but all of us! You have to fix this! Family members fight sometimes, but they're still family!"

"Well..." Rachel started.

"Your case is special." Puck said. "Your only true family is Blaine, family doesn't mean by blood."

"Right." Rachel said. "Hurry, we have to warn everybody!"

Kitty swallowed hard and nodded, head swimming with self-doubt as she turned and rocketed out of the woods. What _had _she been thinking? She'd let her heart make a snap decision and now everybody was in danger!

"Everybody!" She yelled as she ran, she saw flashes of other people as she ran, but she didn't pause to see who they were. "Riker is on his way here! Everybody! Hide! Hide!" She yelled, but it was too late.

She looked up into the sky as a pitch black dragon descended from it right in front of the campfire. Sam grabbed Quinn and pulled her backwards as Kitty raced in between them, blocking them off.

"I was wrong! Leave! I don't need you!" Kitty yelled and Riker laughed as he slid off of the dragon. Kitty could practically feel the others slowly assembling behind her.

"You're stupid." He laughed and Kitty took a step back.

"Wh-what?"

"You're stupid! So stupid for having trusted me! _Me!_" He laughed as if this were the most hilarious thing in the world. "And for what? Because I gave you a locket?" He laughed and pointed at the locket that she'd hung back around her neck.

"I...what do you mean?" Kitty whispered.

"I was always going to kill you! _All _of you! Especially that brother of yours!" Riker tilted his chin in Puck's direction. "You never had a say! You were a tool that I was using to get to them! A tool, that's all you are! A tool!"

Kitty screamed angrily and whipped forwards with her dagger. He brought his sword up and clashed it against her weapon. Riker pulled back and ran at her, swinging his sword but she ducked under it and tripped him, swinging her dagger down at him.

He somersaulted to his feet and swung at her but she pivoted around and elbowed him in the face before turning again and swiping her dagger at his head.

Riker managed to duck the attack narrowly, before sweeping his sword in a large arc at her leg, but she countered the blow with her dagger and pressed against his blade, causing him to spin around and lock blades with her again.

Kitty lifted one leg and kicked him backwards and he stumbled but recovered when she tried to make another sweep at his head, and lunged with his sword, slicing shallowly across her collarbone.

"Kitty!" Puck yelled, stepping forwards, but Riker's dragon stepped in the way and roared at him, pushing them all back.

"Dragon! Do something!" Sam yelled and the Ice Dragon started forwards, but stopped short at an invisible barrier pushing him back.

_"What?" _He cried out and Riker laughed as Kitty fell back, one hand pressed to her wound.

"The King's magic reaches as far as he wants! I'm not the only one watching this fight!" Riker yelled out.

"That's not fair!" Quinn yelled.

"Life's not fair!" Riker called back as Kitty lunged at him.

He side stepped but she was ready for it, and pivoted, sliding her dagger across his chest.

Riker cried out in pain and glared at her with fury in her eyes.

"You bitch!" He yelled, leaping forwards and grabbing her shoulder.

They both thrust their blades at the same time, but Kitty's fell short.

Nobody could breath as they stared at the sight before them. The hilt of Riker's sword was pressed firmly into Kitty's abdomen. The blade stuck out her back. The silence was so thick that it felt like ringing in their ears.

Kitty gasped, tasting blood in her mouth as she looked over Riker's shoulder, making eye contact with first Rachel, and then her brother.

She smiled.

"_Kitty_!" Puck yelled, rushing forwards, but she didn't listen. She forced Riker backwards, lunging towards the Ice Dragon and grabbing onto his foot, curling around Riker like a monkey.

"Fly!" She croaked to the Ice Dragon, making eye contact with him.

He nodded.

_"Kitty!" _Puck screamed so loudly and brokenheartedly that his throat was raw. _"No!"_

"Don't!" Kitty yelled down as the Ice Dragon took off. "Don't let this stop you. My story ends here, but you've still got a long ways to go! Believe that! I'll always be with you Puck, even if I'm not."

"I can't-" He cried out, sobbing.

"No!" Kitty cut him off and shaking her head. "You can do anything! I know you can!"

She paused and smiled almost shyly.

"You're my big brother."

"...Why?" Puck whispered, falling to his knees and staring up at her.

"Because I've got a lot of repenting to do." She laughed. "Go out there and win this okay? For me. I know you can do this, all of you, as long as you stick together! You've got a new family now Puck, take care of them okay?"

He didn't respond as she got smaller and smaller.

"Okay?" She yelled. "Promise me!"

"I promise..." He mouthed up to her, eyes red with tears then he leapt to his feet as the Ice Dragon started to disappear over the mountain. He ran after her, yelling as loudly as he could. "I promise!"

Kitty smiled down at her brother as he ran after them, but soon he was out of sight. She could feel her vision begin to tunnel as the Icegate Caverns passed below them, but before she knew it, she was on the other side, flying over the Wintersea.

"What are you doing?" Riker yelled to her.

She smiled down at him.

"Repenting." She said as they reached the middle of the ocean.

She let go of the dragon.

The water hit her this time, but it didn't feel cold. It didn't feel anything, actually. She let go of Riker, but did not watch for him as he pulled his sword out and she turned to sink headfirst into the ocean, dying the water around her red.

She watched as the locket floated from over her head and fell past her to the bottom of the sea.

Kitty smiled.

* * *

Puck could barely see straight. She was gone. He was stunned, broken, tears leaking from his eyes and melting the snow that he collapsed in as Kitty vanished from sight.

"This isn't fair..." He whispered.

"I know." Mercedes said sympathetically, hugging him tightly from the side.

"I should have stopped him... I should have protected her...I should have done... something."

"Don't." Rachel said, and Puck and Mercedes both turned to look at her. Her face was hard but tears still streamed down her face. "Don't start that. There was nothing any of us could have done for her. The only thing we can do is keep fighting...for her sake. She wouldn't want us to get hung up on this, she said so herself!"

"I told her I'd protect her." Puck said, still crouched on the ground. "I told myself I'd protect her."

"You tried." Rachel said, approaching him and kneeling on his other side. "She's gone in this world, but that doesn't mean she didn't matter. She's helped us here, and now we have to go on without her. But she'll always be with us! You have to believe that."

"I'm not as strong as you Rachel. It's not that easy..." Puck whispered.

**Musical Cue: Little Women-Days Of Plenty**

"Don't make so much of me Puck..." Rachel said. _"I never dreamed of this sorrow..."_

Puck looked up at her as she began to sing.

_"I never thought I'd have reason to lament..." _She swallowed sadly, not making eye contact with him. _"I hoped I'd never know heartbreak...how I wish I could change the way things went."_

Rachel looked up and out towards the ocean that had become Kitty's final resting place.

_"I wanted nothing but goodness...I wanted reason to prevail!" _She blinked hard trying to stop her tears and looked back at the ground, watching the snow melt as her tears landed. _"Not this bare emptiness..."_

She took a deep breath.

_"I wanted days of plenty..." _She sighed.

Rachel turned and looked at Mercedes who stared back at her, nodding and absorbing her words.

_"But I refuse to feel tragic. I am aching for more than pain and grief!" _She sang, nodding and trying not to cry._ "There has got to be meaning! Most of all when a life has been so brief, I have got to learn something! How can I give her any less?"_

Rachel turned to look back towards Puck.

_ "I want life to go on... I want days of plenty." _

She grabbed Puck's face gently, tilting his chin up.

_"You have to believe there is reason for hope!" _She sang, locking eyes with him._ "You have to believe that the answers will come! You can't let this defeat you! I won't let this defeat you! You must fight to keep her there, within you!" _

She grabbed his hand and slowly pulled him to his feet.

_"So believe that she mattered!" _Rachel sang, nodding to him and then turning to lock eyes with Sam. _"And believe that she always will!" _

She hugged Puck tightly and Mercedes stepped slowly away to give them their space.

_ "She will always be with you!" _Rachel sang into his shoulder as they both sobbed. _"She'll be part of the days you've yet to fill!" _

Rachel pulled away, both hands on Puck's shoulders, taking deep, rattling breaths.

_"She will live in your bounty! She will live as you carry on your life!" _She belted, squeezing her hands as tightly as she could and ignoring the tears that spilled down her cheeks. _"So carry on! Full of hope! She'll be there..." _

Rachel pulled him into another tight hug.

_"For all your days..." _She sang softly. _"Of plenty..."_

Mercedes approached Puck, wrapping both of them up in a hug.

"Puck..." She whispered, choked up from the tears that spilled down her face.

"Yeah?" He asked as Quinn and Blaine joined their group hug.

"Sometimes..." Mercedes sniffled. "Sometimes when the thing you care about most leaves you, you're forced to keep going anyways. It doesn't mean you have to like it, it just means that you have to accept it."

She fell silent then for a moment, and allowed those words to sink in as Kurt, Santana and Tina joined them.

"But sometimes..." She sniffled again. "Sometimes life takes a turn you don't expect...and that'sthe reason you go on living."

Puck nodded into her shoulder, soaking her shirt with his tears.

"She may be gone, but you'll never be without her. You just have to keep fighting, alright? With me." Mercedes whispered. "I believe in you."

As Finn and Kitty both fell to the soldiers of the King, the other fugitives were forced to move on, never again forgetting how important it was be sincere and to be wise like their now dead friends had always been.

They would always be with them, in every battle they waged and every friend they met, and thanks to Rachel and Mercedes, they were strong enough to move on. They never forgot them, and whenever they were sad, they would think of them, and they would give them the strength to keep fighting.

If not for Kitty, they all might've been apprehended at the festival in Fayhaven. She'd saved them then, and many times since. When they were attacked in the Vertglass Mines, she had been one of the few who had managed to tough it out, staying conscious until the very end.

Kitty had been imprisoned inside of herself. When her brother and friend had been ripped away from her, she'd faded away from the fog-blanketed society of Fayhaven, and stuck to the shadows of her barn. They'd first met her with a serious look and a blade to Santana's throat, but after a while...after a while she could laugh, and smile. She became a new person, a happier person, with friends and a family of her own.

Finn had done a lot for their group, more than he might be credited for. Yes, he'd hid them when they were chased out of Ostvale Forest, and yes he'd given them a destination when they were looking for recruits, and yes again, if he weren't in the mines, Sam and Blaine would probably have died, but it was what he did behind the scenes that made him the most inspiring.

They'd gone through a lot, as a group. Finn had been one of the first to join them, and they'd gone through hell together. All the training, and the fighting, the gloom and depression and living off of the land. Finn had always been there to keep spirits up. He was one of the main reasons nobody had developed depression. Finn had made it easier to laugh when they were surrounded by nothing but darkness.

Now, with both of them gone, the others were coming into the endgame. This was no longer a game of hide and seek, it was a race, it was a war. A war that nobody intended to lose. A war for the living, _and_ the dead. This was it, the time to prove themselves was drawing near, and as they stood and faced the rising sun, they knew that they were ready.

* * *

**For Strength**

The next morning, nobody had broken camp. They all sat numbly around the campfire, the Ice Dragon resting in the background, snoring loudly. Nobody said a word, nobody foraged for food, nobody scouted for potential soldiers; everybody just sat in quiet reflectance.

Nobody was crying, not anymore. People just reflected, on Kitty, on Finn, and on what they'd learned from each of them. Even Puck had managed to slow the flow of tears. He, if anything, was suddenly more determined than everybody else. He was now fighting for two people.

He'd promised Kitty that he would win this for her! He'd promised her that he would take care of these people. These were the thoughts running through his head as he surveyed the others, staring off into space in a moment of silent mourning that had spanned the entire morning.

"Alright." He said, standing up.

The others all turned to look at him, seemingly surprised. Sam, particularly, looked unsure of how to take somebody else taking charge. Not that it was unwelcome, just that it was...different.

"We're still in the middle of a war. Kitty would want us to keep fighting now. I promised her, so we have to keep moving!" He said seriously.

"Moving where?" Sam asked, casting an unreadable glance towards Blaine, who looked back guiltily.

"Both ways." Rachel said, standing up next to Puck.

"Right." Puck nodded. "We'll split up."

"Are you sure?" Kurt asked.

"Yes." Puck nodded. "It's the only way to get both things."

"Okay, so we get the dragons _and _Marley." Blaine said, and then sighed. "Why didn't we think of that at the start? It would've saved a lot of drama..."

"It's fine, you were upset and didn't have anywhere to channel your emotions." Rachel said.

"I shouldn't have been so overdramatic." Blaine sighed, sitting back on his palms.

"Me neither." Brittney opted.

"None of us should have." Rachel said. "We were all upset and scared and feeling like our lives were these fragile little things, and you know what? They are, but that doesn't mean we curl up in a ball and cry. It means we fight."

"And we look out for one another." Puck said, nodding and trying not to let his jaw quiver. "Because we're a family." He whispered, and his voice broke, but he managed to gather himself quickly enough.

"Right." Mercedes nodded, reaching up and holding his hand.

She stood up and looked around.

"I want to go after the dragons. I just believe that's the way I should head. I have a feeling." She said.

"I'll go with you." Kurt said.

"Me too." Puck nodded.

"I've already stated my opinion." Blaine said, almost embarrassed.

"I'll go too." Quinn said. "Not to follow Blaine, just because I really do think that we'll need as many people on the dragons as possible."

The others all nodded. Tina watched Santana, lost in her own mind.

"I'll go after Marley. I don't know if my leg can handle flight." She sighed, looking down at it. "It's good to free the dragons first anyways, because that means that they won't be able to use them in the final battle. I'd only slow you down."

"I'll go too." Tina said immediately. "I...I just have a feeling that I might be of better use in Santana's group."

Nobody mentioned that she'd said _Santana's _group instead of Sam's.

"Yeah, me too." Brittney nodded. She'd leapt into the sea to save Santana, _and _she'd called her her girlfriend. Sure it had been in a fit of rage, but it still counted in Brittney's books! She was curious to pursue this endeavour.

"Well, you know my vote too..." Rachel said shyly and Sam nodded.

"So it's settled; Sam, Rachel, Santana, Brittney and Tina will go to free Marley. Blaine, Quinn, Mercedes, Tina and I will go to find the other dragons." Puck summarized.

They all nodded.

"Alright...We should get going than."

* * *

Quinn was carrying a bag to tie to the back of the Ice Dragon as the other four busied themselves around it. She passed by Rachel who was looking curiously at Blaine.

"Go, apologize if you have to. He feels like he should apologize too." Quinn said and then sighed. "There are a lot of people with some serious apologizing to do."

Rachel nodded, thanked her friend and walked over to her brother.

"Hey..." She said slowly as she walked up.

He turned around and smiled guiltily.

"I'm sorry." They both said simultaneously. "It's okay." They both continued, before laughing at themselves.

"I really am sorry, you know I love you, you're my brother, and you always will be."

"I know that." Blaine shook his head. "I shouldn't have stooped that low, I know I'm not the only person in your life, and you're not the only person in mine. It's unfair of me to expect any different, and I don't." He clarified.

"Thank you."

"You deserve to have somebody love you like Sam does. Go, give him a chance. The next time I see you, you'd better be official." Blaine laughed and hugged his sister tightly. "I love you big sister..." He murmured.

"I love you too little brother."

Puck smiled as he watched the siblings reconnect. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Brittney grinning at him.

"Hey Puck, what's up?"

"Not much..." Puck said slowly, unsure. "What's up with you?"

"Just came to say I'm sorry. It wasn't any of my business even more than it wasn't any of yours. If that makes any sense." Brittney shrugged. "I shouldn't have been a meany like that."

"It's cool." Puck smiled. "I kinda lost my cool too. Don't worry about it."

"No hard feelings?" Brittney asked, holding up her arms.

Puck leaned in, accepting the hug.

"No hard feelings." Puck confirmed as they disconnected. "Have fun figuring out your Santana thing."

"Have fun figuring out your Mercedes thing!" Brittney grinned.

"You know about that?"

"You confessed to loving her in a heated rage last night. Pretty much everybody knows. She wasn't there though, you're still covert." Brittney said. "But you saved her life twice, so she kind of owes you at this point."

Puck laughed and shook his head as he mounted the Ice Dragon.

_"All aboard!" _The dragon called and Mercedes climbed on behind Puck. Blaine, Quinn and Kurt were quick to follow, and as the dragon's wings began to flap and they all rose into the air, they waved goodbye to their other friends and hoped that they would see them again.

* * *

The going was slow in Sam's group, thanks to Santana's leg. Tina continued to stare at it contemplatively, but she did nothing more.

Santana was a trooper, that much was clear. She pushed herself until she was gritting her teeth and sweating from the pain. When she reached that point, Brittney would carry her until her arms got tired and Sam would take over. Even Rachel and Tina took turns carrying their crippled teammate.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Rachel said one evening but Tina shook her head.

"Hospitals are run by the King's Court, and Santana's face is wanted. They'd hold us all there until the King came and arrested us himself. We just got cut in half so we have to be more careful."

"So we need some kind of voodoo medicine man!" Brittney said with far too much excitement.

"There's a fishing village up ahead." Tina said. "I doubt they'll have a medicine man, but they should have a bed."

"A _bed_!" Rachel sighed dreamily and laid back in the snow, thinking back to the soft comforter of the beds in Kurt's home. Oh how she missed the little things; washing and sleeping and-

Her stomach growled.

Eating. Definitely eating.

"Do you think they'll have food?"

"They have to eat somehow." Santana said sarcastically.

"Then let's get going!" Rachel jumped to her feet and set off.

* * *

The fishing village was quaint. Village was a strong term. There was an inn, a jail, and a dozen odd igloos off to the side, plus an ice fishing shack. Other than that, and a store that looked like it had seen better days, the village was almost totally empty.

"There, an inn." Sam pointed and Rachel nodded.

Santana was panting strongly, and her brow was slick with sweat. Brittney moved to lift her up but she waved him off.

"I can do this." She said as she led the way to the building. She needed to remind herself that even if she was hindered, she could still persevere. Santana was a tough ass bitch when she wanted to be, and she couldn't ditch that attitude because of a little shattered bone...

She cringed at her mental phrasing.

When she reached the door, taking far longer than they would've if she'd let Brittney carry her, Santana collapsed to her knees and cried out as shooting pain rocketed up her leg.

"Santana!" Brittney cried out, kneeling down and draping her arm over her shoulders, pulling her inside. The innkeeper looked up, surprised at their entrance, and rushed forwards.

"Hello!" He said in a thick accent that Rachel couldn't place.

"Hi." She said, looking around.

The front room was almost a cafeteria, with more tables than such a small village could ever need, but it provided plenty of benches for the weary adventurers to rest on while Rachel made rooming arrangements.

Since there weren't many people staying at the fishing village, they had their pick of rooms. As they attempted to go check them out, Santana stood, and promptly fell back down again.

"Ah!" She yelled and Brittney and Rachel both knelt on either side of her. She waved off their concern and Rachel looked up at Sam and Tina.

"Go find rooms, we'll wait until Santana's ready and meet you, okay?" She smiled and they nodded and left. "Here, I'll get you some water alright?" Rachel smiled at Santana who nodded.

When she was gone, Brittney frowned at her sort-of-girlfriend.

"So..." She started.

"I don't know." Santana said.

"What?"

"I know, I called you my girlfriend." She said, turning to look at her. "But I've never been in love. Hell, in my life, I've only met thirteen people, not counting my Dad. I know I like you, a lot! But I don't know what love is."

Brittney considered this for a moment, sitting on the bench beside her.

"Well, maybe you'll find it with me!" She smiled at her hopefully and Santana paused, mulling that over. It was such a simple statement, and she couldn't really find a way to argue with it. Brittney wasn't done, however. "I think, if you love someone, the thought of losing them practically kills you inside. I know I loved my Dad, and it killed me to lose him, but you helped me!" Brittney nodded, blissful and innocent as ever.

Santana was just about to respond when they heard the door to the inn open again. Seconds later there was the sound of shattered glass and they both whipped around to find Rachel standing open-mouthed, staring at the doorway where a bitchy looking dark haired woman was dusting snow off of her cloak. The glass of water lay in pieces at Rachel's feet.

"Are you alright?" Brittney jumped up and went to Rachel's side, looking from her to the woman in the doorway.

The bitchy woman in the doorway scoffed as she looked Rachel up and down judgmentally, essentially dismissing her as she turned to face the bartender.

"Kids these days are so pathetic." She drawled to him, turning her back on the teenagers. "That's why _I _got rid of mine."

Rachel's mind was swimming. It felt like somebody had stuck a funnel in her ear and filled her with fog. She saw flashes of that same woman barging into her nursery years earlier, commanding their execution. The woman laughing as she discussed her children's murders at the King's Court's table, like it was proper dinner conversation.

Rachel hated her father with a passion, but it was her mother that she truly despised. At least her father had the decency to act like they never existed.

Unable to stop herself, Rachel leapt towards her mother, hands outstretched, fully prepared to squeeze her neck and never let go.

"Hey! Whoa!" Brittney grabbed her around the waist, yanking her out of the air, and whipping her around so that Brittney stood behind them, her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Fiona, her mother, turned around with a sneer on her face, having missed the attack completely.

"You're polluting my air. Don't you have better things to do, like removing the cripple from my sight?" She asked coldly.

"This cripple could kick your ass, even if I do only have one leg you old hag." Santana snapped, using her cane to rise to her one foot, attempting to look intimidating. "You don't get to come in and judge us just because we didn't wear our finest clothes to a fishing village in the middle of nowhere!" She turned to the bartender. "No offense."

"None taken."

"Don't test me child." The woman snarled, voice so chilling that it practically dripped poison.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Santana asked. Something about the woman rubbed her the _wrong _way. "Turn me into a toad like the Wicked Bitch of the West that you are?"

"I am the king's right hand woman, Fiona. I am the strongest sorceress in the Kingdom. You would do well to watch yourself when speaking to those who are better than you." Fiona said coldly. "The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because I'm on a mission, searching, for a boy. I have yet to find him, now unless you know of his whereabouts, I suggest you remove yourself from my sights!"

Santana and Brittney both froze, turning slowly to look at Rachel, who was still red-faced and panting. Images of her mother hurting Blaine, the Nurse, Rachel herself even, still stuck in her head.

So _that _was why Rachel was so furious.

"Oh I..." Santana paused. For all her bravado, she only had one leg, and Rachel was not mentally stable enough yet to battle her mother. "I'm sorry ma'am."

"_What_?" Rachel snarled.

"Come on!" Brittney grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the stairs as Santana hobbled after them.

* * *

Sam and Tina were sitting in the room when Rachel burst in and punched the wall as hard as she could. Brittney and Santana arrived moments later, looking at her sadly. Shaking her head, Rachel hauled off and punched the wall again.

This time, she couldn't help it. Her fist slid down the wall as she collapsed to her knees and began to shake. She was cold, she was broken, and all she could feel were the scars that she'd kept hidden for so long.

That feeling, that feeling of being so unloved, so unwanted, had caused something to shatter inside of Rachel. She'd been broken, just going through the day, like a clock that had lost its ability to chime.

For a long time, Rachel had managed to pretend to herself that she was fine, that as long as she had her brother, she would be fine, and maybe, to an extent, that had been true. Maybe because of him, _they _as a pair had been fine. But _she_ was still broken; _she_ was still weak in her own mind.

Not good enough Rachel.

Not strong enough Rachel.

Not brave enough Rachel!

She pounded her fist against the wall again, and again, and again. She knew her knuckles were bleeding, but she couldn't feel it. She tried to punch again, but Sam caught her fist and she crumpled into his arms, shaking and wrapping her arms around herself. She could hear him making noise, but couldn't comprehend the words.

She had ran from her Nurse, in the old woman's dying hour, she had taken her brother and ran, after everything the kind mother-figure had done for them, after all of the times she'd stood strong for them, after she'd risked _her _life for them, Rachel had taken off, with barely a second thought.

It was only after the Nurse lay dead on the ground that Rachel began to have second thoughts...and third thoughts...and fourth, and fifth. In fact, it was a thought that rarely left Rachel's mind.

Maybe if she were a little stronger! A little braver! She could've done something! _She _could've saved her brother in their nursery, _she _could've kept their Nurse from dying, _she _could've stood up to her father, _she _could've kept Quinn from dying, _she _could've defeated the Witch in the Whitemist Forest, _she _could've saved Mercedes, _she _could've defeated the sea monster, _she _could've kept her friends from almost drowning, _she _could've stopped Finn from making the sacrifice he made, _she _could've defeated Riker instead of causing the mental break that brought about Kitty's death, _she_-

"Rachel, I love you!" Sam screamed at her and she blinked, zipping backwards through her memories, watching them whip past on her way back to the present as Sam drew her out of the liquid vat of pain that she was living in.

She looked around.

She was sitting, crumpled on the floor, Sam's arms held protectively around her while Santana knelt on her other side. Brittney was crouching right in front of her, and Tina was back another step, almost crying with concern. There was a horrible sound filling the room.

It was only then that she realized that the horrible sounds were her sobs of pain. She slowly tapered off, but the tears would not slow, no matter how much Rachel tried to bury the pain again. Seeing her mother again, after so long, had opened a floodgate within her, and hard as she tried, she couldn't close it again.

"What did you say?" She whispered brokenly to Sam.

"I love you Rachel Berry!" He said. "I love you, I honestly _love _you! I know I wasn't sure before, but I am now! I know you don't want to have to worry about me in battle, and I don't want to worry about you either, but I can't help it! I fear for your life more than I fear for my own, even now, seeing you like this breaks my heart!"

"When we told Sam what happened, he tried to break down the door to get your mother and kill her..." Santana smiled softly. "We care about you Rachel, you're such a strong person, it hurts us to see you this broken."

"I'm not!" Rachel snapped. "I'm not a strong person!" She tapered off into a sob and buried her face in her hands. "I'm n-not! I c-can't be! I j-j-just want to b-be brave! For once! But I c-can't! Because I don't want to d-die!"

She sniffed loudly and turned her head away from Sam, unable to look at him.

"If I weren't such a c-coward, m-maybe Finn and K-k-k-"

"Stop it." Sam said, grabbing her head and turning it towards him. "You think being brave means you aren't afraid to die?" He asked, smiling like he knew some wise secret that she hadn't been let in on.

She nodded and tried to slow her tears, but again she failed.

"If I w-wasn't so afraid, then-"

"Finn and Kitty weren't your fault. They made their choices, and they got themselves killed. For us. So that we could keep fighting. For them." Sam said. "Yeah, that is being strong, but you know what's even stronger?"

"What?" Rachel whispered.

"Fighting even though you're scared. Walking into battle and knowing you probably won't come back out. Not knowing, but trusting your instincts anyways." He said. "You're so wrong if you think you're weak Rachel. You are the strongest member of our team, because strength comes from love, and you _are_ love."

Rachel barked a laugh.

"You are!" Sam said, almost angrily. "You love everybody so much, that you blame yourself whenever anything goes wrong, because you don't have the heart to blame them! You get so emotional, because you feel so strongly that sometimes you don't know what to do with yourself! You work so hard to help everybody else that you forget about helping yourself! That is what makes a person strong, and brave Rachel. _That_!"

Rachel looked up at him, and he wiped a stray tear from her face. With a start, she realized that she'd stopped crying.

"Your mother? I can guarantee you she isn't afraid to die, but that doesn't make her brave. That makes her stupid." Sam said. "_I'm_ afraid to die. Everybody in this army is afraid to die, but I can guarantee you, that everybody in this army, would sacrifice themselves, just so the others could keep on living. I know I would."

"Me too..." Santana nodded, rubbing her hand against Rachel's arm.

"Me too." Brittney nodded.

"And me." Tina agreed.

"More than all of that though..." Sam smiled at her. "I know that you would."

Rachel shook her head.

"How can you know that?" She whispered.

He leaned in and grabbed her chin, turning her face back towards him.

"Because my instincts tell me so. And I'm brave enough to trust them." He smiled. "Just like I trust you, one hundred percent. You're my rock Rachel, without you, we never would've made it this far, and without you, we'll never make it any farther. I love you Rachel Berry, so I'm going to follow my instincts one more time, and I'm going to kiss you."

And he did.

* * *

_Sam was surprised when he woke up in the stormy meadow. He'd almost forgotten about it. He allowed himself to flashback on the conversation he'd had with Rachel. They'd fallen asleep in one another's arms, but if he was here now, did that mean-_

_ "You did it." Marley said, reaching over and taking his hand, pulling him to his feet. _

_ "I...I did it?" He asked. _

_ She nodded. _

_ "You showed Santana that she belonged. You showed Blaine that he was loved. Now, you showed Rachel...well, see for yourself." Marley gestured with one arm and he looked to the edge of the meadow where Rachel was crying on the ground and the shadowy dopplegangers of Sam, Blaine, Santana, Finn and Quinn were walking away. _

_ "Wait!" Rachel yelled, standing up and wiping the tears from her face. "You're not real!" _

_ The five of them turned around, looking suddenly uneasy. _

_ "What makes you say that?" Finn asked._

_ "You're not real..." Rachel repeated to herself. "You're my fear, but I'm not afraid of you anymore!"_

_ "You're not afraid of losing your friends anymore?" Santana asked. "Wow Rachel, that's low."_

_ "No." Rachel smiled and looked up at the sky. Slowly, the grey clouds began to drift away. "I'm not afraid of messing up. I'm not afraid of not being strong enough. I am! I'm strong enough to fight for what is right, even if I die! Even if you die, I know I can find some way to keep on trying, because you'll never really leave me!"_

_ "Stop being touching!" Blaine mumbled uncomfortably but Rachel shook her head._

_ "I am strong. I am brave. I am good. I am everything I never thought I'd ever be! I just needed the right person to show me that." She turned and looked over her shoulder at the real Sam, reaching out for his hand. _

_ He walked over, smiling at her, and took it. _

_ "Show yourself." Rachel said, and the five of them cried out as they were pulled into one entity; a shadowy version of Rachel. "I don't need you anymore. You can't hold me back!"_

_ A bolt of red light shot from her chest, mixing with Sam's white light and smashing the evil clone into the sphere of lights that had whipped up around her. Sam looked around, nodding._

_ He'd done it. He'd saved them all._

_ He turned and hugged Rachel tightly as she faded from view again, and then turned to direct his attention towards Marley, who was smiling and glowing yellow. _

_ "Now what?" He asked her._

_ "Now you take the things you've learned, and you keep going. Just know that when the time comes, to make the hard decisions, what you decide, and you alone, will decide this war. No pressure." Marley smiled at him and looked up as the sun began to shine._

_ "Wait! No tips? No tricks? Puck, Tina and Mercedes all gave me tips."_

_ "Sometimes your journey really is yours to take. Sometimes you have to write your own story. Good luck Sam, I'll see you soon." Marley smiled and waved at him and he frowned._

* * *

"Wait!" He hissed, trying to sit up.

Sam was immediately pulled back down again, as his arm was firmly beneath Rachel. He looked down at her, smiling peacefully in a nightmare free sleep, and he couldn't help but believe that everything would be alright.

* * *

"This is my mother's bag." Santana told Brittney as the moonlight filtered in through the window of their room. She ran her hands over the worn leather, smiling. "She had this dream, where the two of us would take off together, leave my father and his farm behind and just go!"

Brittney smiled softly and sat down on the bed next to her, leaning on her own arm and angling herself towards the other girl.

"She was a dreamer, my mother was, and that was her biggest dream; to take me on an adventure. Just the two of us! But..." Santana paused and shrugged, swallowing deeply. "Obviously, that never happened."

Brittney scooted closer to her and wrapped her arm around her, rubbing Santana's arm consolingly.

"But!" Santana cleared her throat and shook her head, smiling. "But, I like to think that...having her bag here with me, somehow means that we're still together. I don't know, does that sound stupid?"

"Not at all." Brittney shook her head.

Santana gave her a soft half-smile and looked down at the bag, rubbing her thumbs over the worn edges. "Good..." She murmured softly.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, just staring out at the moon.

"I think your mother would be proud of you." Brittney said, not taking her eyes off of the window.

"Thank you..." Santana whispered, and she meant it. "I think your father would be proud of you too..."

"Yeah..." Brittney nodded. "I think he would."

"We'll come out of this war alive Brittney." Santana said. "For them."

"Okay." She nodded.

"Promise?"

"I promise." She whispered. "For them. For you. I promise."

"Good..."

* * *

**_So Kitty sacrificed herself to fix her own wrongs, and inspired the group to come back together and surge towards their goal. Rachel finally believes in herself, and the secret love between Sam and her is no longer a secret, and Brittney and Santana...well, they're still confused, but whatever they are, they are that together. In the next chapter, Tina steps into the spotlight to save everyone, and when Marley and the gang finally meet face to face, she lets them know that everybody really does have a story, and each person you meet carries with them something that you can learn. Escaping the prison proves to be far more trying than getting in when they attempt to break free, and the other group runs into trouble when an old foe reappears. Finally, sudden death brings out an animal in Santana when one of Sam's nightmares comes true, and love blossoms when Mercedes almost loses everything. _**


	14. Chapter 14

****_**This chapter is the first that is REALLY action based. Obviously there is plenty of character development, and it makes it pretty clear where everybody stands in their journeys, but it's the first big battle coming up, so tell me how you like it!**_

**Healing**

The rest of the journey to Ironmount Point was mostly quiet, each adventurer lost in his or her own mind, eyes focussing on the mountain looming up ahead of them as the snow melted away to barren red clay beneath their feet.

Their destination was not Ironmount Point itself; it was the large tower that had been built at its base in order to keep Marley from any civilization. The air got hotter and hotter as they walked, in a different way than the Redrock Desert. This wasn't the same dry, crackling heat. This heat was given off by the magma that shot beneath their feet to the volcano behind the tower.

Tina watched Santana nap on Brittney's shoulder as she carried her forwards, both of them still drenched in sweat from the almost liquid heat in the air. Santana's leg was still bent at a horrible angle, and every time Tina looked at it, it gave her chills...but...

"There it is..." Rachel said, looking up at the tower.

Looking at Rachel, Brittney found herself inspired. After Sam's inspirational speech to her, it seemed like she'd managed to make everything fall into place. She was stronger than ever before! Brittney had no doubt that if it came to a fight, she, of everybody, would make it out alive, and she'd save as many people as she could along the way.

Brittney had a hunch that it would come to a fight.

"Do we just go in?" Brittney asked, pausing and setting Santana down behind a large boulder, fifty feet or so from the entrance, which was being guarded by a lone soldier. Looking around they could see other soldiers patrolling the mountains around them, but nobody seemed to have spotted them yet.

"No." Santana opened her eyes, frowning. "I'll slow you down, she's obviously at the top of that tower, and I don't think I can _do _stairs."

Sam frowned, but had to agree. Santana _would_ slow them down, and if they had to fight their way in or out, he wasn't sure just how much help she would be.

"You can't just stay out here though..." Rachel pointed out. "They'll notice you, and they'll come and kill you." She pointed out at some of the soldiers.

"I'll stay with her!" Tina said immediately, ignoring the questioning looks, she went on. "I can fight off people that come at us!" Tina added, revealing her dagger to them.

Brittney, Sam and Rachel looked at one another, frowning, but nobody could deny that that truly seemed like the best course of action. Only Tina knew that she had an ulterior motive to staying with Santana, one that she didn't yet want to reveal.

"Alright..." Sam said hesitantly. "Stay low, and if you get in over your head, yell."

"You too." Tina nodded to him and he gave her a quick hug before turning and throwing his sword at the soldier by the door. The blade struck true and stabbed into the wall behind him as he fell to the ground.

Hurriedly, Rachel, Brittney and Sam ran for the door, crossing the fifty feet in seconds and pulling his sword from the wall. Before long, they had vanished inside of the building.

As soon as they were out of sight, Tina turned towards Santana, hands up.

"Okay, so I've been experimenting with magic." She said bluntly.

"Magic?" Santana asked, sitting up a little straighter. "Like when you killed the Witch?"

"Well...not necessarily. I have this book!" She opened her satchel and drew out the book that the old woman had given to her, the White Magic book from Starryville.

"White Magic?" Santana asked.

"It's magic that doesn't do harm. I can grow things, and summon rain and...I think I can maybe heal." She said.

Immediately, both Santana and Tina looked to her broken leg.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I didn't want to get anybody's hopes up and then have it not work!" Tina mumbled uncomfortably.

"Well we can try!" Santana nodded to her leg and Tina took a deep breath, shivering again at the ugly look of it. The bleeding had stopped long ago, but it looked infected, which could explain Santana's recent fainting.

Tina placed her hands on Santana's leg and a jolt of pain shot through her. She'd anticipated this, she'd healed little scrapes that she'd gotten herself and it had hurt her then too, but not this great. It felt like her bones were being broken and she found herself screaming as Santana's bones moved under her skin.

"Tina!" Santana shoved the other girl away and Tina took a deep breath, but opened her eyes.

"No! It's almost healed! I can do it!"

"Not if you kill yourself!"

"The pain goes away, I can do this!" She reached out again, grabbed the leg and focused even harder.

Santana couldn't feel her bones moving back into place. She couldn't feel the infection seeping out of her body. She could only watch as the cross around Tina's neck lit up pink around her, like her powers were being channelled through it.

Tina felt the pain slowly begin to decrease as Santana's skin began to pull back together. Minutes later, there was no more pain, and she risked taking her hands off.

"There..." Tina panted, feeling light-headed and dizzy. It had taken a lot out of her to heal such a major injury, but she'd done it! "I think I feel all of the pain the injury has brought you when I heal it. All magic comes with a price, and that's its."

Santana gingerly bent her knee and then extended the leg again. There was no pain, it was a little stiff from lack of use, but no pain. She didn't feel faint anymore either, it was like she was a whole new person.

Mustering up her courage, Santana crawled onto one knee and then planted the previously broken foot down on the ground in front of her. She took a deep breath, and stood up!

"It worked!" Santana cheered, slowly walking in a circle. "You did it!"

Tina clapped her hands together and Santana jumped up and down before wrapping her friend in a hug.

"I really didn't know if it was going to work." Tina laughed. "All I had to go on was my faith."

"Well I owe you my life. Twice now."

"Oh anytime."

* * *

"What's that sound?" Rachel asked as the three of them crept across the large cavern that served as a bottom floor of the tower. A heavy thumping noise, almost like thunder, or a series of mini-earthquakes.

Brittney frowned and turned around, searching the room for the potential source. She stopped suddenly and frowned, nodding.

"Well...this sucks." She said. It was the most logical way to express her feelings as she stared up at the massive troll that was stomping out of a large shadowed corner of the room. Its head brushed the ceiling of the fifteen foot room. The club hanging at its side was longer than Brittney was! "We should probably run..." Brittney said seriously.

"Yeah..." Rachel nodded slowly. "Probably a good idea."

The three of them bolted from their spots immediately, Rachel in the lead as she raced for the stairs, Brittney right behind her and Sam ushering them forwards from the back.

The troll roared loudly and threw its club through the air. Rachel screamed and ducked as it sailed over her head and smashed into the ground in front of her. She pivoted around it and Brittney ducked the other way, but Sam wasn't paying attention and smacked into it, stumbling in a daze backwards.

"Oops..." He mumbled, holding his head.

The troll stomped down in front of him and he looked up, frowning as it picked up the club again.

"Shit." Sam said.

The troll drilled the club down at him, but Brittney dove out of nowhere and took Sam to the ground, the both of them rolling to the side as the club split the ground where Sam had been standing only moments before.

Rachel was poised on the bottom step of the tower, looking uncertainly over at them.

"Go!" Brittney waved her onwards.

"Get Marley!" Sam yelled as the two of them jumped to their feet.

Rachel nodded and ran up the stairs two at a time. The troll saw her going and bellowed loud enough to shake the walls of the castle, throwing its club at her. She jumped forwards out of the weapon's path, landing roughly on the stairs and scrambling to her feet again as the club destroyed the steps behind her.

She took off back up the stairs and almost leapt onto the second floor, which was another large expansive room. It was less tall, however, and one wall was made of coloured glass. She paused as three soldiers stepped out of the shadows, a swordsman, an archer and an unarmed man who Rachel guessed was a magic user.

"Hello..." She gave them an awkward wave as they drew together, clumping in front of her before the stairs that would provide an escape. "How are you?" She asked.

The archer drew his arrow and shot it at her.

She awkwardly stepped out of the way and put her hands on her hips.

"Fine then, be that way." She said, drawing her sword.

* * *

Sam and Brittney were literally running in circles around the troll. It smashed its club into the ground behind them as they ran, over and over again, creating little craters that they would have to pick their way through on their next circuit.

"How are we going to kill it?" Sam asked as they ducked some more flying debris.

Brittney shrugged.

"Maybe it'll get tired?" She suggested.

The troll roared loudly and Sam tripped, falling into a crater.

"Sam!" Brittney turned to grab his hand, pulling him to his feet. They both looked up as the club came hurtling down towards their heads. "Oh no…"

* * *

Rachel smirked as she sheathed her sword again. The three lone soldiers had been fairly easy for her to incapacitate. She was really quite pleased with herself, especially as she reflected on her battle with the soldier's of her father that had almost gotten her killed!

She heard the troll roar again from below her and frowned, torn between continuing onwards and going back for the others. Her heart won out and she moved quickly back down the stairs.

As the first room came back into view she saw the club speeding down towards Brittney and Sam as they stood, stunned, in the middle of a crater.

The club stopped suddenly, staying suspended in midair, even as the troll's fist kept going and smashing into the ground ahead of the two.

"Bad troll!" Tina scolded as she walked into the room, turning the club around and smacking it against the beast's thick skull. "Murder is bad!"

"You know that kind of makes us hypocrites right?" Santana asked, strolling in next to her.

"...Shut up." Tina laughed and smacked the troll again as it stumbled backwards, looking stunned as it stared at its own club, floating in the air in front of it. "We're not murderers, we're rebels." She said.

Santana looked at her.

"Don't give me that look! If we didn't do it than we'd be dead, and then so would like, everybody else in this Kingdom!" Tina said, swinging the club around to uppercut the troll's jaw with the club.

It staggered backwards and sat down hard on its butt, looking up in a daze as Tina smacked him one last time and he blacked out against the wall.

"Okay, you win." Santana said and Tina nodded as she dropped the club to the ground and wiped her hands as if she'd actually been holding it.

"You saved us!" Brittney grinned as she and Sam crawled out of the shallow crater.

"Yeah, no big deal." Santana brushed imaginary dirt off of her shoulder. "We're badass bitches, you can worship us later."

"Come on!" Rachel laughed and they looked up at her. "We have to hurry, it's not like we made a very sneaky entrance!"

The other four hurried up to her, awkwardly manoeuvring over the ruined stairs as they made their way up to the next room. The other floors seemed relatively deserted, like they hadn't expected them to get past the troll at all, let alone the soldiers on the second floor.

They stepped out onto the top floor and found it just as empty as the other rooms. This room was circular, and totally abandoned, save for a glowing yellow orb that hung in the center, lighting up the walls around them.

"I thought Marley was supposed to be here?" Brittney said, looking around and stepping forwards.

"She is." Tina walked past him towards the orb.

Sam blinked at the floating sphere.

"She looks different in person..."

"She's not the orb!" Tina laughed. "She's inside of it!"

Tina reached out and shut her hand over the orb.

A bright flash filled the room and they all shielded their eyes.

When it was safe to open them again, they found themselves in a brilliant golden meadow.

"You made it!"

Sam looked up as Marley practically leapt at him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I was watching you all, and I really wasn't sure a few times if you'd make it through." She said seriously.

It was weird for Sam to hear her voice out loud, as opposed to in his head.

"Oh we were always gonna make it." Tina smiled. "Do you know how the other group is doing?"

"Yep!" Marley nodded. "They're almost done actually, it's awesome! But...they are about to come across something pretty big...I've tried to see out the other end, I mean, sometimes I can! But I can't tell you how it's gonna turn out."

"What about this war?" Brittney asked. "Can you see how it will end?"

"No." Marley shook her head. "There are too many variables."

She looked at Sam and frowned. Actually, there was really only one variable. The fate of the entire Kingdom rested in Sam's hands.

"So you'll help us?" Sam smiled hopefully at Marley.

"Yes." She said. "This world is a dream, that world is a nightmare. I want something in between...I want a life that means something!" She said. "They've held me captive here for way too long. I could never get out on my own, but you're here now! It's time to make my life worthwhile!"

"That's why you've been helping us..." Sam realized and stepped forwards, looking at Marley in a new light.

She nodded sadly.

"You want to be remembered..." Rachel said slowly, looking from Sam to Santana, Brittney and Tina. "We all want something, and that's yours."

"Why us? Why did you decide that we were worth helping?" Santana asked.

"Because you love one another." Marley said.

She waved her hand and shimmering images of all of their friends appeared in the air around them. She pointed to an image of Kurt atop the gate of Starryville.

"Kurt wanted equality." Marley said, waving her hand and an image of Mercedes and Kurt hugging atop a large roof appeared instead. "Mercedes helped him feel equal, and now, Kurt's destiny is unparalleled."

She waved her hand and the image vanished as Tina's slipped into its place.

"Tina wanted-"

"-to believe on my own..." Tina finished, staring up at the image of her sitting against the alter. "Sam helped me believe." She said. On cue, the image changed to Sam smiling and talking to Tina in the church.

"Puck just wanted to have a family again..." Marley continued, looking up at the image of Puck sitting on a rock in the cave, looking tired. The image faded away to one of Rachel singing to him as he cried into her shoulder. "Thanks to Rachel, he realized that he has one...even if he lost his sister."

She waved her hand and Tina and Puck's images faded away. The moving pictures spun around until an image of Quinn standing dejectedly in front of her shop in Ostvale, looking after a teenage couple filtered into the slot.

"Quinn wanted to be hot." Marley laughed. She flicked her hand and the image of Blaine crying over her as she told him she loved him appeared. "Blaine taught her that she was beautiful, inside and out, and that that was a far greater achievement."

"I wanted to belong." Santana said, eyes on her own moving picture, where she yelled at her father in the hallway of their house. The image changed to Blaine and Santana in the farm, and then Sam and Santana sitting in the front of the church. "They taught me that I did."

"And Blaine wanted to be loved." Marley said, showing Blaine burying his face in his hands as he leaned against a tree. The image faded and was replaced by Sam teaching him how to fight, and then Quinn kissing him as light whipped around them. "Quinn and Sam showed him that he was."

"I wanted to be strong..." Rachel looked up at herself as she punched a wall repeatedly. The image changed to Sam holding her tightly. "Sam saved me from mentally destroying myself."

"What about me?" Brittney asked, looking around.

There were a few pictures that still existed as those three faded away; Mercedes, Brittney, and Sam.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Beyonce: I Was Here-**

"Your stories haven't reached their ends yet." Marley said. "Neither has mine."

"What's your story?" Rachel asked.

Marley frowned and looked down. The wind began to pick up, blowing softly, just enough to carry a few stray leaves through the air.

"What is it that _you _want?"

_"I wanna leave my footprints...on the sands of time." _Marley sang, looking at the golden grass at her feet. _"Know there was something that, and something that, I left behind!"_

She looked up at the others.

_"When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets." _She shook her head. _"Leave something to remember, so they won't forget."_

She closed her eyes and sighed.

_"I was here. I lived, I loved... I was here. I did, I've done everything that I wanted and it was more than I thought it would be." _She opened her eyes and nodded at Rachel. _"I will leave my mark so everyone will know, I was here!" _

Marley took a step forwards, cutting between Rachel and Sam, and Santana, Brittney and Tina as the wind picked up slightly. Rachel pressed a hand to her heart and rested her head against Sam's arm, singing the backing harmony for Marley.

_"I want to say, I lived each day, until I die. And know that I meant something in, somebody's life!" _Marley turned back to face Sam as Rachel fell away. "_The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave. That I made a difference, and this world will see!" _

She turned back to the horizon and waved a hand, creating a small portal to the top room in the castle at Ironmount Point. The real world.

_"I was here..." _She sang slowly. _"I lived, I loved. I was here, I did, I've done everything that I wanted and it was more than I thought it would be..."_

She turned back to the others and smiled sadly, imagining Finn in her head. He'd died for her cause...

_"I will leave my mark so everyone will know, I was here!" _Marley belted. _"I lived! I loved! I was here! I did! I've done everything that I wanted and it was more than I thought it would be!" _She took a deep breath and shook her head, silently apologizing to Finn. _"I will leave my mark so everyone will know! I was here!" _

Marley smiled up at the girls who were softly backing her up.

_"I just want them to know..." _She sang honestly. _"That I gave my all, did my best! Brought someone some happiness...left this world a little better, just because." _She shrugged. _"I was here."_

Tina nodded and stepped up, hugging her tightly and then stepping through the portal to the other world.

_"I was here!" _Marley belted as she watched her go. Brittney stepped to her, smiling. _"I lived, I loved!"_

She hugged her tightly and Marley held her back, surprised by their kindness.

_"I was here! I did, I've done-" _She looked up as Santana walked forwards and wrapped her arms around her._ "-everything that I wanted and it was more than I thought it would be!" _

Santana detached and stepped past her.

_"I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know, I was here!" _She sang as the others sang backup from both worlds. _"I lived! I was here!" _

Sam and Rachel stepped up to opposite sides of Marley and took her hands.

_"I did! I was here!" _She riffed as they stepped a foot through the barrier into the real world. _"I lived! I loved! Was here!" _

They stepped the other foot through and Marley turned to watch the portal close.

_"I did! I've done!" _She turned slowly to face the staircase. _"I was here."_

* * *

**The Battle For Love**

_"Down there!" _The yellow dragon called out.

Quinn peered over the neck of the dragon that she was riding, looking down at the smoking volcano beneath them.

"Why do you all like to live in the harshest environments?" Quinn asked.

"Really though!" Kurt agreed, pulling up beside her on a dark blue dragon.

After the initial battle in the Icegate Crags, the Ice Dragon had led them to a large ocean just off the coast of Fayhaven. They'd been forced to leave their guardian behind as they swam as deep as they could, but the large underwater grotto that housed the Sea Dragon had been magnificent. She was a kinder, gentler beast than her brother, and the hypnotism of the Queen had broken with Kurt's tale of the people of Starryville. Apparently, the people of the sea had been equally as oppressed, and their guardian dragon didn't take kindly to it.

Thankfully, the Sea Dragon knew exactly where the Earth Dragon was hiding, and she'd led them to a hidden glade deep in the farthest reaches of Whitemist Forest. Here, a large gentile green giant had recognized Puck's story. Apparently, his worry and love for his sister had been so great when he first traversed the forest to escape the King, it had imprinted on the Earth Dragon's mind. That imprint set him free.

From there they'd moved on to a static cave in the depths of the Redrock Caverns where a joyful young dragon had agreed that he would help them after Quinn pleaded their case. He had remembered the unsettling darkness that had descended upon the desert after Quinn's death, and talked about how Blaine's mournful music had pulled him from his slumber. When they found him, he was shocked by their kindness and said that it had been a long time since he'd gotten to see happiness, and that was what had set him free.

Now they were approaching a large volcano in the North-North-Western part of the Kingdom. With the Thunder Dragon leading them, they'd made good time, and it wasn't long before they touched down on the lip of a long, wide open passageway.

"You're on your own from here on." The Sea Dragon said as Kurt slipped off of her.

"Thank you!" Kurt nodded.

"He's a little fierier than the rest of us, be careful." The Earth Dragon told Puck as he and Mercedes jumped off. He nodded.

"Yeah, we will be."

Blaine slipped off of the Ice Dragon and waved to him as Quinn joined them, sliding down the Thunder Dragon's tail.

The five of them turned and slowly began to pick their way along the path. It was relatively well worn, which told them that the Fire Dragon was very likely frequented by the soldiers of the King, and this put Kurt on edge. He fully anticipated a fight, but even the soldier inside of him was surprised when they stepped into the heart of the volcano.

"Hello Mercedes."

Mercedes was not afraid of Coal. She stared at him with hard, unfeeling eyes. She'd already made her case, she'd given him the chance to leave her, she'd told him that she was stronger now, and she was.

No, what frightened Mercedes, was that Coal was straddling the neck of a very unfriendly looking red dragon, and there were at least twenty soldiers accompanying them, all armed, all dangerous.

"What are you doing here Coal?" She asked.

"You rejected me." Coal spat. "Shot me down. _Me! _Nobody shoots me down! I'm the most handsome man in the entire fucking kingdom!" He yelled crazily. Her eyes widened. She'd known that he was hurt when she left him behind that night, known that he didn't know how to deal with that kind of rejection, but she hadn't meant to make him crazy.

She took a moment to consider Savannah; his sister. She was crazy as well, perhaps...perhaps Coal only hid his insanity under a mask of arrogance, and she'd taken his mask and snapped it in two.

She felt an odd swell of pride.

"So?" She asked. She caught Kurt's eye and he gave her an encouraging smile. "You hurt me Coal, a lot, and I don't deserve that." She said. Puck's eyes twinkled with pride. Mercedes looked beside him at Blaine, who was smiling and nodding for her to continue.

"I left _you_ Mercedes, you don't get to say no to me!" He said. The dragon beneath him roared and Puck and Kurt drew their weapons. The soldiers mirrored them. This was definitely going to come to a fight.

"Then why did you come back Coal?" She asked, fed up. "Why did you hunt me down in Starryville, alone? So you could string me along again, right? Well guess what! I don't deserve that! Nobody does, and I wasn't going to stand for it. I'm stronger than you ever gave me credit for, and _that, Coal, _is why I get to say no to you! Because I am _stronger_ than you'll ever be!"

That was it.

Coal roared with rage, the dragon roared beneath him, opened its mouth, and let loose a torrent of flames.

* * *

"I'll help you." Marley said, looking at the staircase leading back down the tower.

The glowing orb was gone now, just like Marley's Golden Meadow was gone; she didn't need to hide anymore.

Sam grinned. They'd done it; they'd recruited the strongest sorceress in the land.

"You'd better prepare to fight your way out. The guards aren't going to let me go that easily." She smiled guiltily. "And you kind of made a scene on your way in here, so getting out will be even harder."

"I'm tired of running anyways." Tina said.

"Yeah!" Santana nodded, waving away Marley's concern. "We're set, I mean, how many of them can there be?"

"Why would you say that?" Brittney asked, shaking her head. "Now there's going to be like, a thousand of them!"

"Sorry..." Santana frowned.

"The longer we wait the more soldiers will be waiting for us." Rachel reasoned. "Come _on!" _

She drew her sword and kicked the door open.

"You know that swings right?" Tina asked. Rachel turned and nodded before charging down the stairwell with an exaggerated battle cry. Brittney drew her sword and chased after her, and Sam wasn't far behind. Marley and Tina were next, drawing their sleeves, hands at the ready, and Santana grinned, giving chase.

* * *

"What do we do?" Kurt yelled over the rush of fire. He and Blaine were pinned behind a large boulder as flames jutted past them. "We can't get close to it!" His hand hurt as it dug into the hilt of his sword, and there was a thin coating of sweat already covering his pale skin.

"We need to draw it out into the open. We can't take down a dragon like this alone, we need the other dragons." Blaine said, he blinked hard, the heat was so intense, and the light from the fire so bright that his eyes were sore.

"But what about the soldiers?" Kurt asked, shifting his body weight to the other foot as he peered over the edge of the boulder.

"Somebody needs to stay and fight them, keep them away from the battle in the skies." Blaine said. He crouched low, clutching his bow as tightly as he could, lest it slip from his grasp.

"You and Quinn are our only ranged warriors." Kurt reasoned. "You need to be in the skies."

"But how do we get him to chase us?" Blaine asked. He wiped sweat from his brow and peered over the top of the rock again. The soldiers were all poised, waiting for an opportunity to present itself as the dragon edged closer and closer to their hiding spots.

They both turned as the fire stopped, staring over at where Mercedes and Puck were crouched behind another boulder. Simultaneously, Blaine and Kurt knew what had to be done.

"He only really wants one of us." Kurt said.

"Mercedes needs to be bait..." Blaine realized.

Kurt nodded.

"Puck and I will fight the soldiers, the rest of you need to hurry though. The dragon's getting closer." He said through gritted teeth. He peered out around the rock again as the dragon-fire faded away.

"Are you sure? That's ten soldiers each."

"We're fighters. We can do this!"

Blaine nodded and leapt out into the open. The fire started up again and he dove to the ground and shoulder-rolled, making it behind Puck and Mercedes's rock seconds before the fire shot past them.

They both turned to him, concern in their eyes, but determination shining just as brightly. They _were_ fighters, and they weren't going to lose now when they'd come so far.

"Kurt is going to take on the soldiers; we need you to come with us." He said. "We have to lure the dragon away, or we'll all end up dead. Puck, can you help Kurt?" He asked.

Puck frowned, looking over at the other guy.

Kurt smiled determinedly back at him.

"I'm bait?" Mercedes asked. "Damn it..."

"We need Quinn though, where is she?" He asked.

"Over there." Mercedes pointed further up the slope. Quinn was hiding behind a protrusion in the wall of the cavern, hands scratched from when she'd been forced against it after the first burst of flame.

She made eye-contact with Blaine and he pointed towards the opening, then at the three of them; Quinn, Blaine and Mercedes. Quinn nodded.

The fire began to die down and Blaine held up his fingers.

"Wait." Puck yelled. "I want to go to the dragons."

Three.

"What?" Blaine cried out.

Two.

"I have a bow!" He said, whipping it out. Blaine nodded and prepared to fight the soldiers instead.

One.

"Go!" Blaine yelled, and Mercedes took off first, Puck right behind her.

With a cry of outrage, Coal took the bait.

The dragon spread its wings and leapt into the air, flying past Blaine and Kurt's hiding spots as they pivoted out and armed themselves against the soldiers.

Quinn bolted out and started booking it, but the dragon's wings were getting closer.

She turned, running backwards, and fired off an arrow at the approaching beast. The arrow went wide, but the dragon roared and fell back slightly.

The light from the lip of the cavern was growing brighter as they got closer to the surface. Their lungs were on fire from the uphill climb and their muscles were screaming at them.

"Dragons!" Quinn yelled.

They weren't at the entrance.

"What do we do?" Mercedes screamed, peering over her shoulder. The dragon let loose a huge burst of fire that began to swell until it filled the entire cavern. It was gaining on them.

"Jump!" Puck yelled.

They reached the edge of the cavern, and leapt into mid-air.

* * *

Santana stopped as they hit the middle ground plateau of the tower. The room was full of soldiers, all waiting for them. Brittney, Sam, Tina, Rachel and Marley were already waiting in a fighting position.

"We show no mercy to pathetic people like you." An effeminate voice called out. The soldiers parted as a black haired teenager walked down the middle.

"Hi Ree!" Brittney said, recognizing her.

"You! Do you know how much shit I got into because of your escape?" Ree shrieked.

"Oops!" Brittney shrugged. Ree scoffed in disgust.

"You call yourselves brave. Fighters even." She looked at them, repulsed. "I call you pathetic. I-"

"Yeah, we know, you already said that." Santana rolled her eyes. This bitch was seriously cray. Santana was not a fan of the crazy bitches. Santana was not afraid to let the crazy bitches know this either.

Ree's eyes widened murderously and she reached for one of the two daggers on her belt.

"I was talking." She snapped.

"Yeah, well, it got boring fast." Santana deadpanned.

"Maybe you'd prefer to get right to the fight then!" Ree screamed and whipped one of her daggers through the air. Santana gasped as it sped towards her face, and she cringed closing her eyes.

Brittney leapt in the way, sword at the ready, deflecting the dagger and sending it skittering along the ground. Ree drew her other weapon and flitted her eyes back and forth from Brittney to the dagger on the ground.

"Don't hurt my girlfriend." She snapped.

Santana opened her eyes, breaking out into an awestruck grin. Brittney had just saved her life.

"Brit!" She laughed.

Brittney turned and nodded.

That was all the time it took.

Ree cart wheeled forwards, grabbing her dagger and pivoting into a handspring. She turned in mid-air and kicked Brittney in the chest, sending her skidding backwards. Ree ran after her, daggers held high as Brittney jumped to her feet, sword at the ready.

"Brittney!" Santana darted forwards, but the fight had begun, and the fifty odd soldiers that filled the room surged forwards as one, cutting the other five fighters off from Brittney and Ree. "Alright, fuck off!" She swore.

Swords at the ready, she spun around, dodging a lunge by one of the soldiers and stabbing him through the back.

The battle had begun.

* * *

Falling was an interesting sensation. It almost felt like you were suspended in midair, and the rest of the world was just rushing past _you_. As Quinn looked up and the fire nearly singed her hair as she plummeted towards the ground far below, she wasn't sure whether she'd rather be burned or flattened to death.

Thankfully, she never had to find out.

With a thud she landed on the neck of the Thunder Dragon.

_"Sorry, we thought we'd stretch our wings for a bit."_ He said.

Quinn turned and found Puck standing on one of the claws of the Ice Dragon, one hand on his leg, and Mercedes standing and holding tightly to the neck of the Earth Dragon.

"That's alright!" Quinn nodded. "You're here now!"

"Quinn!" Mercedes yelled. Quinn turned and narrowly managed to yank the Thunder Dragon into a barrel roll as a jet of fire sped past them, the Fire Dragon just behind it. It raked its claws against the Thunder Dragon's underbelly and he screamed and doubled back, clamping onto the Fire Dragon's tail.

Quinn and Coal held on tightly as their dragons spun through the air, almost somersaulting over one another. Eventually the Earth Dragon rammed into the Fire Dragon's side, dislodging it from its Thunder counterpart.

Coal pulled back and the Fire Dragon faced off against the Earth Dragon as the other three hovered in the air behind it.

"You can't win Coal." Mercedes said.

"All I need to do is kill you." Coal snapped.

* * *

Tina whipped around and shot a ball of energy from her hand into the face of an approaching soldier, turning and kicking another soldier approaching from the other side. She pivoted away and shot off two more balls of energy at another soldier.

"Tina!" Marley yelled as a soldier lunged at the other girl from the side.

Marley summoned a ball of fire and shot it forwards, nailing him in the head before he could make contact. She smiled and turned away, only to scream and drop to the ground, narrowly avoiding the swipe of an enemy sword.

She extended her leg to trip him and rose, pointing her hand at his head. He growled and rolled out of the way, and she looked up just in time to avoid a second soldier's lunge. She leapt backwards and turned, running down the staircase past where Rachel was fighting three guards at once.

"Sam!" Rachel yelled out as she did a cartwheel and drove her sword through one of the soldier's stomachs. She drew it and kicked a second approaching soldier in the face, pivoting and bashing him upside the head with the hilt of her weapon.

"What?" He yelled, parrying away the weapons of the six soldiers who had placed him as one of the greatest threats. He'd been backed into the upwards staircase, so they were forced to attack in a single file.

"I'm going after Marley!" She yelled.

She ducked a sword swipe from overhead and proceeded to drive her sword into the attacking soldier's gut.

"Alright!" He yelled, kicking a soldier in the face and knocking him into the blade of another. The second soldier screamed in rage and leapt at Sam, who jumped, landed on his back and used him to leap through the air, landing on the other side of the other four soldiers in front of him.

He spun around and stabbed one, but was immediately forced backwards again as the other soldiers lunged at him. He backed up and yelled in shock as he bumped into somebody.

"Just me." Santana yelled, linking arms with him and then flipping over his back as he bent forwards, ducking low and swiping her swords like scissors at the three soldier's, taking out two of them, the third getting away. "Got him!" She yelled.

Santana ran after the other soldier, ducking as a ball of Tina's energy nailed a soldier on the other side of her. She glanced to the side and spotted Ree and Brittney locked in their battle near the large stained glass windows on the front of the building.

Ree rushed at Brittney with her sword but the blonde girl pivoted around her, swinging at her neck. Ree ducked and jabbed the hilt of her sword into Brittney's gut. She gasped and doubled over, but managed to swing back up to avoid a knee to the face.

While she was bent backwards, Brittney kicked her foot out, nailing Ree in the chest and sending her stumbling backwards. Brittney recovered and lunged at her but Ree curved away to the side and swung back at her.

Brittney parried the blow, but Ree immediately shot another one her way, and then another and another. Brittney blocked the stabs as quickly as she could, taking several faltering steps backwards until she could feel the glass against her back.

Ree smirked and stabbed at her wrist, flicking Brittney's weapon and sending her sword clattering to the ground. Brittney gasped and watched it clatter away. That was all the time it took for Ree to leap into the air and drive both of her feet into Brittney's chest.

"Brittney!" Santana screamed as the other girl was thrown through the glass. Santana ran forwards trying to catch her, but it was too late. Brittney plummeted to the ground far below, hitting it with a sickening crack. _"Brittney!"_

* * *

"_Stop_!" Mercedes snapped and Coal paused.

"Excuse me?"

"Stop with the killing me obsession. You're not helping anybody! I'm sorry I hurt you Coal, but you hurt me first, and now you're leading your soldiers to death. I guarantee that Blaine and Kurt are in there incapacitating your entire little army." Mercedes snapped and Coal smiled sickeningly.

"I guarantee that your friends have been chopped to bits by my soldiers." He said.

Mercedes winced and Puck saw a glint in Coal's eyes. He'd found the way to hurt her again.

"And the others? Your friends that aren't with you, they're all dead."

"You...you don't know that!" Mercedes tried to keep her bravado.

"Don't I? I have this whole Kingdom bugged. Riker knew where that brat sister was at all times, who's to say I can't track _your_ friends too?" Coal snickered. "They're dead Mercedes, all of them, but don't worry, I'll be merciful to those two." He gestured to the cave.

Puck gritted his teeth as he watched Mercedes's eyes water.

"Stop it." She said.

"I'll burn them so they're nothing but ash. Won't that be nice of me? If I torch them, just like I torched your parents?"

There was dead silence. Quinn and Puck stared at Mercedes, so shocked that even the rhythmic flapping of the dragons' wings didn't register. Mercedes's parents? Neither of them had ever thought to ask her about them. It hadn't even occurred to them! She'd run away from home and away from Coal, what had happened to her parents?

"...That was you?" Mercedes whispered.

"Of course it was me! Who else would have done it! They were the ones who told you I was a bad influence, not to let me play with your head! So while we were on a date one day, I had my soldiers torch your house. Then I held you while you cried." Coal cackled insanely. "How does that make you feel Mercedes? Knowing you held the man who killed your parents? How does that make you fe-"

"Shut _up_!" Puck jumped to his feet atop the Ice Dragon and leapt through the air towards Coal, who turned, frightened as Puck smashed into him, tackling him through the air and off of his dragon.

"_Puck_!" Mercedes screamed as they freefell.

* * *

_"You fucking bitch!" _Santana screamed, whipping around and slicing blindly with one of her swords.

Ree gasped as the blade nicked her face and her cheek began to bleed. She looked at Santana, every muscle tense in the other girl's body, eyes looking furious and filled with more hate than Ree had ever seen in a person's eyes, and that included Riker.

Ree lunged forwards with her sword but Santana blocked it with both of hers and swung her leg out, kicking Ree in the gut and then kneeing her in the face so hard that Ree's nose broke when she bent down.

"Fuck." Ree sword, swinging her sword at Santana's knees, but Santana jumped it and landed on the blade, lifting one of her feet and kicking Ree in the face hard enough that she rolled backwards away from her weapon.

Ree shoulder rolled to her feet, but Santana wasn't done yet.

Santana lunged at her with both swords, but Ree pivoted out of the way and cartwheeled towards her weapon, picking it up as she passed and turning to block another attack of Santana's, parrying the blow.

Santana pivoted away and sliced her sword against Ree's abdomen, cutting her narrowly.

Ree gasped and smashed her hilt into Santana's wrist, causing her to drop one of her weapons.

Santana didn't care as she swept her sword at Ree again. This bitch had just killed her first and _only _love! This _bitch _who had never had to fight for anything in her life! Santana was seeing red, she couldn't help it.

She swept at Ree again as hard as she could, and when Ree parried the blow, her sword flew away across the room.

"Shit! Shit, shit!" Ree swore, ducking another sweep of Santana's blade. The evil girl reached up and twisted Santana's arm until she dropped her other sword, but Santana kicked her in the gut and she was forced away.

Santana stepped forwards, grabbing the other girl's shoulders and drilling her knee into Ree's face. Santana then lifted Ree up and spun around, hands clamped on her shoulders until she let go, literally throwing her across the room, watching as she slid across the cement.

"Soldiers!" Ree yelled as she crawled to her knees.

Santana reached her and roundhouse kicked her in the side of the head, sending her to the ground again.

Two soldiers stepped in between them and Santana cried out as Ree scrambled to her feet and ran down the stairs.

"Get back here bitch!"

Santana ducked one of the soldier's sweeps and grabbed his arm, thrusting with his sword until it stabbed through his partner. She then kicked that soldier off the blade and took a page from Ree's book, cartwheeling to take the now fallen soldier's sword and righting herself just in time to parry a blow.

She made quick work of the other soldier and then tore off down the stairs after Ree. She wasn't in the bottom floor, so Santana sprinted out the door, past where Marley and Rachel were fighting off a few remaining guards.

Instinct took over as Santana leapt out the door of the castle and she bent backwards into a bridge as Ree jumped out at her from the side, sweeping a new sword over her. Santana kicked her feet up into handspring position and kicked Ree in the face, sending her stumbling backwards while Santana righted herself.

"You are so dead." Santana said coldly and Ree awkwardly stumbled backwards.

"You can't kill me!" Ree said. "You haven't got the heart for it!"

Santana looked over Ree's shoulder where she could see Brittney's broken, mangled, bleeding body.

Ree glanced to see what Santana was looking at and faltered, laughing without humour.

"If you kill me...my family will kill you!"

Santana rolled her eyes.

Both girls stopped as a groan filled the air. Santana's head shot towards Brittney and she ran past Ree, stopping short several feet away, almost not willing to believe she'd heard it correctly.

"Brittney?" She whispered.

She groaned again and Santana smiled.

Santana heard the whistle of a sword through the air and ducked, pivoting at the same time and drilling her sword into Ree as the other girl tried to ambush her.

"You were wrong, by the way." Santana said. "Thanks to Brittney...I've got just enough heart."

* * *

Puck was falling, falling to his death, Mercedes thought, but Puck had a plan.

He angled both himself and Coal towards the opening in the mountain and braced himself as they hit the ground and rolled.

Almost as soon as they'd hit the earth, Coal had leapt to his feet and turned on Puck, arms spread wide as they both slowly circled one another.

"Stay out of this!" Coal yelled. "It's none of your business!"

"It is if I love her!" Puck snarled.

Coal took a step back, as if he'd been punched.

"Love?" Coal asked, and then he cackled. "You love _her?" _

"Fucking right I do." Puck said.

"Then you must be the reason she said no to me!" Coal unsheathed his sword and ran towards Puck.

Puck was ready and ducked under his weapon, kicking him backwards so that he rolled across the ground, losing his sword in the process.

"She didn't even know me at that point." Puck said as he drew his bow and fired an arrow at Coal that he rolled away from. "She said no because you're a fucking prick."

Coal growled a strangled yell of rage and leapt at Puck, tackling him to the ground and smacking his head against the rock beneath him. Puck felt his vision begin to swim as he floundered around, reaching for something to fight with.

He grabbed an arrow.

"You don't know shit." Coal spat. "You're nothing but a peasant fugitive! Know your place bitch! Know your pl-"

Puck raked the pointed edge of the arrow across Coal's face.

Coal screamed, falling backwards and clamping both hands over his face.

"My face! My face!" He howled, and then lowered his hands to reveal that Puck's attack had gone from his left eyebrow, all the way down to the right side of his jaw, cutting across his nose and lips. "You ruined me! I'm going to kill you for that!"

"Oh because that wasn't your intention all along?" Puck asked sarcastically, and Coal sprinted towards him.

Puck shot an arrow at him that stabbed into his shoulder, but Coal kept moving forwards until he'd backed Puck into a wall, grabbing him by the collar and smacking his head against the wall.

This time spots erupted in front of Puck's eyes and he cringed as Coal smacked him against it again.

"Say goodbye bitch."

"Goodbye bitch." Mercedes said, coming up behind him and swinging a rock at the side of Coal's head. It hit him hard, busting an eardrum and sending him staggeringr towards the edge of the cliff. "I'm done with you." Mercedes said, walking forwards.

"You'll never be do-"

"Shut up." Puck said, and kicked him over the edge. He turned to find Mercedes smiling at him through her tears.

She walked over to him and he held her tightly as she cried.

"You saved me..." She whispered.

"I had to." He smiled.

"I love you too."

* * *

Santana knelt down to the ground beside Brittney, smiling through her tears.

"You're okay?" She whispered and Brittney looked at her, nodding and smiling, unable to keep from crying. "Tina!" Santana yelled and they both turned their heads as Rachel and Marley ran towards them. One look at Brittney's condition and Rachel was racing back into the castle to fetch the healer.

"I'm okay." Brittney smiled. "It was only a one story drop." She waved it off like it was nothing.

"I thought I'd lost you." Santana whispered.

"You saved me." Brittney realized.

"I had to." Santana shrugged, sitting back as Tina raced up, Sam and Rachel in tow.

"I love you." Brittney said as Tina grabbed her hand and began to heal her.

Santana let out a sob.

"I love you too."

* * *

Mercedes looked at Puck, really looked at him. She looked at him so hard, that she didn't notice Kurt and Blaine staggering up the slope, blood covered, but alive. She didn't notice Quinn dropping to the ground nearby. She just looked at him; she had found somebody to love her. Somebody who she loved in return, who deserved the kind of compassion that she could give.

This was what she'd wanted, what she'd _needed _even! Ever since Coal entered her life, she'd been broken, and alone, and miserable. Puck had fixed her! Maybe he'd meant to, maybe he hadn't, but he'd done it!

She felt like she could do anything, just as long as he was at her side.

* * *

Brittney sat up straight as the last of her bones moved back into place, and Santana helped her stand. She smiled at the latina and Santana smiled back. That was when Brittney realized it. She'd spent her entire journey searching for a home.

She'd been forced away from hers, and with the death of her father, she knew she could never go back to it. She'd thought she might find a home in Mercedes's tree house, but that had been a stupid idea. Every place they'd stopped, Brittney had wondered where home would be.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Switchfoot: This Is Home-**

Now...now she realized that home wasn't a place.

Home was wherever Santana was.

As long as she held on to her...she would always be home.

_"I've got my memories..." _She sang slowly and Santana looked up in surprise. _"They're always inside of me...but I can't go back...back to how it was."_

Brittney took her hand and started walking back towards the entrance of the building.

_"I believe you now..." _She sang, as Santana looked up into her eyes. _"I've come too far."_

Santana nodded and Brittney smiled over at her.

_"No I can't go back, back to how it was."_

They stepped inside and scaled the stairs quickly.

_ "Created for a place I've never known!" _Brittney sang.

She pulled her to the broken window and they looked out at the sunset.

_"This is home!" _She belted. _"Now I'm finally where I belong! Where I belong." _

Brittney pulled Santana tightly to her, smiling into her hair.

_"Yeah this is home! I've been searching for a place of my own, now I've found it maybe this is home!" _She sang. _"Yeah, this is home..."_

* * *

Mercedes looked up at Puck, smiling.

_"Belief over misery..." _She sang, looking over towards where Coal had fallen. _"I've seen the enemy."_

He squeezed her hand tightly and she nodded to herself.

_"And I won't go back...back to how it was." _She looked up at him, eyes sparkling happily. _"And I got my heart set on what happens next! I got my eyes wide, it's not over yet! We are miracles..." _

She pulled him to the edge of the cliff and looked out at the view.

_"And we're not alone..." _

She nodded, smiling so widely she thought she might break her face.

_"Yeah this is home!" _She sang, grabbing his hands and spinning in a quick circle and then curling in against him. _"Now I'm finally where I belong! Where I belong! Yeah, this is home! I've been searching for a place of my own, now I've found it maybe this is home!"_

_ "This is home..." _Puck sang softly, agreeing.

_"Yeah this is home!" _Mercedes wailed.

_"And now!" _Puck sang, turning to Mercedes and grinning broadly. _"After all my searching...after all my questions...I'm gonna call it home!"_

* * *

_ "I got a brand new mindset!" _Santana sang. _"I can finally see the sunset!" _

She turned to Brittney.

_"I'm gonna call it home..."_

She smiled at Brittney. Brittney smiled at her.

* * *

Puck smiled at Mercedes. Mercedes smiled at him.

* * *

Simultaneously the four of them opened their mouths and belted.

_"Oh! This is home!" _They wailed. _"Now I'm finally where I belong!"_

_ "Where I belong!" _Puck nodded.

_"Yeah this is home!" _They all grinned. _"I've been searching for a place of my own!"_

_ "Now I've found it." _Santana sang. _"Maybe this is home!"_

_ "This is home." _The others sang behind her.

_"This is home..." _Brittney sang softly.

_"Now I know!" _Mercedes belted and Brittney joined her. _"Yeah this is home!"_

_ "I've come to far..." _Brittney sang softly, leaning into Santana.

_"And I won't go back..." _Mercedes shook her head. Brittney joined her. _"Yeah this is home..."_

* * *

**The Endgame**

_"We are the champions!" _Sam belted, loudly and off key as the six of them re-entered the fishing village. _"My friends!" _

"Not yet!" Marley laughed, and he snickered. "But this is the endgame right here! We're almost there!" She cheered.

"Yeah we are!" Somebody called and they all turned to find Blaine, Quinn, Puck, Mercedes and Kurt standing in a clump in front of the inn.

Somewhere in the middle of the excited reunion that followed, Mercedes decided to take charge and organize their chaos.

"Guys!" She yelled, stepping forwards and holding up her hands. "I think we need to party. Hard."

"Hells yeah!" Santana cheered. "Let's party! We've fuckin' earned it!"

* * *

"And then Puck stabs him in the face with an arrow!" Mercedes exclaimed loudly. "An _arrow!" _

"Wait, wait, wait? Where were you?" Brittney shook her head and pointed to Blaine and Kurt. "Weren't you still in the cave?"

"Yeah, but we were fighting a ton of soldiers down by the fucking lava!" Blaine laughed.

"How did you win?" Rachel asked.

"We got back to back and kicked some ass." He said.

"A lot of them actually fell _into _the lava." Kurt said. "Just because they were off balance or something."

"Yeah!" Blaine nodded. "Quinn, tell them how the fire dragon got won over!"

"Oh my God!" Quinn set her drink down and raised her hands. "I didn't even do anything! It felt Mercedes and Puck's love and that set it free! Isn't that the cutest story you've ever heard?"

Several of their troops audibly awed and Puck nodded while Mercedes smiled bashfully.

"Attention everybody!" Sam yelled out, standing up and clinking his glass. "I'd like to do something!"

Everybody turned to him and he looked at Rachel, grinning sinisterly.

"Since I haven't actually done this yet." He paused and took her hand, picking her up off the bench. She looked at the others with confusion as he led her forwards. "I want to ask you, Rachel, to go out with me." He smiled bashfully and everybody awed again.

She laughed and smacked him, then hugged him, then kissed him.

"Of course!" She grinned.

Then she kissed him again.

_And _again.

Rachel smiled shyly at Sam, whose grin looked like it was about to break his face. She glanced over his shoulder at the other members of their army. Most of them looked thrilled for them, but it wasn't until her eyes rested on Brittney and Santana that she realized something was wrong.

"I think you'd better leave." Brittney snapped suddenly.

"We didn't mess with you the first time, but the odds are in our favour now." Santana added.

Rachel caught sight of her brother. His eyes held betrayal and hurt.

"Mom?" He whispered.

Slowly, Rachel turned around. Sam held her close as she took in a sight that chilled her to the bone. Her mother stood near the bar with two guards flanking her. The woman looked repulsed as she took in their vast number.

Marley stood farthest away, standing beside a table where Puck sat, glaring over his shoulder at the woman. Kurt leaned against another table, just across from Tina who sat backwards on a third bench. Santana and Brittney stood just behind Mercedes, and Quinn and Blaine were standing on the other side of another table nearby.

It seemed that, though the guards looked hesitant against their large number, their mother had no such trepidations.

"Oh don't call me that, if I'd wanted you to call me that I wouldn't have tried to feed you to the dragons." She sneered. Blaine looked at the floor, but looked up again as Quinn stepped in front of him, face set angrily. "Oh? Who's this? Well you don't look very intimidating at all now do you?"

"Listen you crazy old bitch." Quinn started. "If you try to hurt them anymore than you already have, I'll kick your ass, and believe me, I can."

Sam blinked. Quinn had never been the type to curse so freely, but she was getting fired up! He was pretty pissed off too if he was being honest. The woman looked at him and he nodded fiercely, pushing Rachel behind him and placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Oh..." She smiled cruelly. "You found love did you?" She cackled.

"Would you shut up? I mean really? Who has an evil cackle these days?" Santana put a hand on her hip and their mother shut up, shock evident in her eyes.

"You're the disrespectful little brat from last time... I'd kill you myself if I didn't think touching the working class would give me any number of diseases." Her lip curled and Santana blinked at her.

"Really? You wanna start something?" She took a step forwards threateningly. Brittney stood strong next to her.

"Start something?" The woman laughed. "With you?"

She looked out at the small army and pursed her lips.

"You are the most disgusting, incompetent little army I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

"Oh, I'll show you incompetent." Puck sassed, slamming his drink down and starting forwards, but Kurt hastily pushed him back.

"It's not our fight... Not yet." He said.

"You are the most ragtag group of pathetic weaklings I've ever seen! I mean, look at you! Black people? Working class? Fugitives? It's pathetic." She pointed first to Mercedes, then Tina, Santana, Kurt, Sam and Puck in turn. They all stood stubbornly. "But you know the worst part of your team?" She looked directly at Quinn, and then turned to Sam.

"That you chose to ally yourselves with these two pathetic spawns." She pointed at her children, both of whom shrank back. Sam and Quinn both held their significant others close, but Brittney could see that it wasn't doing anything. "You're all stupid! Good is weak! It's evil that holds true power!" She smirked.

"Hey! Crazy bitch lady!" Brittney snapped, stepping past Sam and Rachel to get in her face. "Hold up! Just to be clear, you don't have to be bad, to be badass."

She blinked in confusion.

"What are you talking about peasant?"

"I'm saying, that if you want a fight." Brittney reached out her hands and shoved her lightly. "You've got one." She grinned.

Santana stepped up next to her, lips pursed, signature bitch-glare plastered to her face. "I think it's time for us minorities to put you in your place."

"Put me in my place?" She backed up hesitantly and her guards backed away with her. The other members of the army slowly stood up and walked forwards until they were all standing in a line behind Brittney.

"Rachel, Blaine, you guys are my friends." Brittney said. "And just because some dumb lady thought giving you up was a good idea, doesn't mean you aren't amazing people. Look at it this way, if they'd never given you up, you never would've found our amazing fluffy family!" Brittney grinned.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Michael Jackson: Bad-**

"You're right." Rachel nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself." Blaine nodded.

"Lady, you're right you aren't our mom." Rachel looked coldly at their mother.

"Let's jam, Brittney, this is all you." Blaine grinned.

"Yeah it is!" She grinned and then turned back to the woman before her, opening her mouth to sing. _"Your butt is mine! Gonna take you right." _

She buried her fist in her other palm and glared at the woman intimidating.

_"Just show your face, in broad daylight." _She looked over her shoulder at Blaine and Rachel and began to walk a slow personal circle, shaking one hand. _"I'm telling you, on how I feel. Gonna hurt your mind, don't shoot to kill. Come on." _

Brittney pressed both fists against her temples and then body rolled towards the vile woman.

_"Come on, come on, lay it on me...all right." _She lunged forwards and laughed as Fiona flinched backwards into the soldiers arms. Brittney grinned, walking backwards towards the others. Santana strutted forwards past her, lips pursed and eyebrows raised.

_"I'm giving you, on count of three." _Santana pointed at her and then snapped her finger back beside her head and flipped her hair. _"To show your stuff, or let it be..." _

She strutted forwards towards the woman, stepping past the soldiers who watched her with a bewildered expression. She leaned over Rachel and Blaine's mother, causing her to lean backwards.

_"I'm telling you, just watch your mouth. I know your game, what you're about." _Santana snapped back up and turned away, slapping Tina's hand as the biracial girl stepped forwards.

_"Well they say the sky's the limit, and to me that's really true." _Tina sang, crumping. _"But my friend you have seen nothing, just wait 'til I get through- "_ She did a pirouette, landed in the splits and bounced back up as Mercedes and Marley simultaneously jumped onto the tables.

_"Because I'm bad! I'm bad-" _They sang.

_"I'm bad!" _The others stood at the ends of the table backing up the other two girls._ "Really really bad!"_

_ "You know I'm bad! I'm bad, you know it!" _ Marley and Mercedes leapt across the gap between the two tables, clasping hands and pivoting as they did. _"You know I'm bad, I'm bad, come on, you know." _

_ "And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once again!" _They all sang together. Tina grinned at the vile woman, finishing the line.

_"Who's bad?" _

The group of them cut through the middle of the evil trio, separating them from one another. Quinn, Marley, Tina, and Puck circled one guard, while Sam, Kurt and Mercedes circled the other one. Brittney and Santana led Blaine and Rachel in circling their mother.

_"The word is out..." _Puck sang, taking a threatening step towards a guard. _"You're doing wrong." _

_"Gonna lock you up!" _Quinn snapped, tossing her hair. _"Before too long." _

_ "Your lyin' eyes." _Sam growled, punching his hand. _"Gonna take you right." _

_ "So listen up." _Kurt widened his eyes._ "Don't make a fight." _

_ "Your talk is cheap." _ Marley sang, twirling her hair. _"You're not a man."_

_ "You're throwin' stones, to hide your hands." _Mercedes finished.

_ "But they say the sky's the limit. And to me that's really true..." _Brittney sang, glaring at the woman. She passed behind their mother and Santana picked up.

_"And my friends you have seen nothin', just wait 'til I get through!" _ She sang.

_"Because I'm bad! I'm bad!" _Rachel shoved her mother roughly from behind. She turned around, glaring. _"Come on!" _

_ "You know I'm bad!" _Blaine picked up, as the others backed them up, shoving her back towards his sister. _"I'm bad, you know it!"_

Rachel stepped around her, with Brittney and Santana behind them and they stalked towards her mother.

_ "You know I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it, you know!"_ They both sang, backing her into one of the benches. She sat down hard, something like fear in her eyes.

_"And the whole world has to answer right now, just to tell you once again!" _They all sang.

_"Who's bad?" _Santana and Brittney nodded.

Sam and Puck grabbed their guards under the arms and, Tina and Marley grabbed their feet respectively. The other groups marched them outside and tossed them face-first into the snow.

Blaine and Rachel grabbed their mother and lifted her on top of the table, glaring at her and circling her slowly. The others approached, surrounding the table threateningly. Suddenly, Fiona was clearly less confident in her odds.

_"We can change the world tomorrow." _Blaine sang. _"This could be a better place!" _

_"If you don't like what I'm sayin', then won't you slap my face?" _Rachel snapped.

Their mother jumped off the table and tried to run away but Marley stepped in her way.

_"Because I'm bad! I'm bad! Come on." _Marley sang. The woman turned away, only to find Puck blocking her path.

_"You know I'm bad, I'm bad- you know it!" _ He sang and she scrambled backwards only for Tina and Kurt to box her in.

_ "You know I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it! You know!" _Tina sang. _"Woo! Woo! Woo!" _

_"And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once again!" _The others sang, approaching menacingly.

_"You know I'm bad, I'm bad! Come on" _Kurt sang. The woman managed to break through between them but Mercedes caught her under the arms.

_"You know I'm bad! I'm bad! You know it, you know it!" _She sang. She spun out of her arms and turned to run the other way, but Sam strutted towards her, backing her up.

_"You know! You know! You know! Come on." _Sam sang and the woman tripped, falling backwards and staring up as the group of teenagers closed in.

_"And the whole world has to answer right now, just to tell you once again!" _They all sang.

The woman backed into the bar and jumped up onto it, running along it trying to escape, but Quinn was quick to jump in her way.

_"You know I'm smooth!" _She sang, backing her up. _"I'm bad! You know it!" _

_ "You know I'm bad, I'm bad, baby!" _Brittney crooned, whipping her around and forcing her to back the other way. The woman hastily jumped off of the bar, directly into Santana's path.

_"You know, you know, you know it! Come on!" _She sang, backing her once again into the bar.

_"And the whole world has to answer right now, just to tell you once again." _They all sang.

Sam raised his hand to help Blaine down off of the table top, as Blaine sang.

_"You know I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it!" _He grinned. Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand and guided her down as the others began to part a path towards their mother.

_"You know I'm bad! You know! Hoo!" _Rachel sang.

_"You know I'm bad! I'm bad!" _Blaine grinned, grabbing one of his mother's arms.

_"You know it! You know!" _Rachel grabbed the other, and together they marched her towards the door.

_"And the whole world has to answer right now, just to tell you once again."_

_ "Who's bad?" _Blaine and Rachel tossed their mother face first out the door and into the snow.

The celebration went on well into the night, until a dragon poked its head in the door-nearly giving the poor innkeeper a heart attack-and told them that they would be heading out the next morning.

Everybody seemed ready for the final battle, Sam deduced as he looked around at them. The only person that he wasn't sure about, was himself.

Hard as Sam tried, he found it difficult to believe that he would be able to win this battle. This was why, before bed that night, he read, and re-read his parent's note until sleep finally claimed him.

* * *

"I'm going back to Starryville." Kurt said as they landed in front of the Vertglass Mines the next afternoon.

"What?" Everybody called out simultaneously.

"Not permanently!" She hastily reassured them. "But...we could use the citizens, don't you think? We could recruit them all! They've been hurt by the King, most of them would be happy to help us!"

"Well by those standards so would the rest of the Kingdom." Marley said.

"That's right..." Tina said. "Puck, the people of Fayhaven might help too! Especially when they find out about Finn and Kitty!"

"Maybe." Puck agreed.

"Ostvale would help too." Brittney said.

"We might be able to get the wolves in on it too actually." Santana said.

"Whoa! We can't just change our destination now!" Rachel held up her hands.

"We won't." Puck shook his head. "If you guys go ahead to the Blackapple Woods and stake out a campsite, maybe make a game plan, and _we _take the dragons and go around collecting soldiers, I mean, it wouldn't take more than a week."

And a week it took.

The most stressful week of the entire journey.

* * *

**_I really liked that chapter. The Brittana in it made my life. _**

**_The small army appears to be pulling ahead! With Ree dead, thanks to Santana's love for Brittney, and Coal _****_plummeting off the face of a mountain, the enemy is weakening. In the next chapter, the original four cope with being separated from the others, and Sam finally, after months of journeying, snaps, and Quinn is left to pick up the pieces. When the rest of the army returns, for better or for worse, many of the team reflect on all that they've lost before the final battle, and they wonder whether their lost loved ones would still be proud of them._**

**_Please review! It's almost the very end! Like, two more chapters left, and the more reviews I get, the more I'll make this a priority instead of waiting until after exams! :D_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Okay, this isn't a very long chapter, because I'm right in the middle of exams, but it's been a long time since I posted so I wanted to get this out of the way. This is a very big chapter for Sam, and all of the loose threads start to wrap up. I did cut a song from here which I will include in deleted scenes at the end, just because it was already pretty song heavy, but I hope you like it!_****  
**

**_I don't own Glee!_**

**The Spring**

Day one found Sam, Rachel, Blaine and Quinn saying a temporary goodbye to the other soldiers. Once they were out of sight, with promises that they would return as quickly as possible, the four of them headed west of Starryville, towards the Blackapple Woods that overlooked the castle.

Day two was when they reached their destination and began to make camp. They were covered by the large apple trees, and they were far enough from the castle that they wouldn't be spotted until they wanted to be, but seeing it for the first time, and knowing that they were going to be invading the massive Draconian style building, with its impenetrable looking walls and massive black dragons acting as scouts in the air...it was enough to cause them all to second guess.

Day three was when their nerves started to get the best of them. Blaine kept making plans, and then redoing them, rushing around asking for the opinions of the others, who never really told him anything useful. Rachel kept sharpening her sword, training herself to be ready to fight whoever she needed to fight, determined to be better! She finally believed that she was strong, but that didn't mean she couldn't get stronger. Quinn found herself wondering whether her mother was okay...she hadn't given it very much thought, seeing as she, Quinn, had died shortly after leaving her again, but the soldiers had been at that door back in Ostvale...was she okay? Sam's mindset was similar. He was scared, for everybody in his army, worried that his actions would bring about their downfall because he wasn't his father!

Day four and day five were similar. The four of them worrying, and preparing, but as time went on... Rachel, Blaine and Quinn began to use their nerves to help them. Blaine made a few solid plans to deal with the dragons that would hopefully bring a swift end to the aerial war. Rachel took more breaks in her fighting to listen to her instincts and allow them to take over, to get out of her own head. Quinn flitted back and forth between the siblings, helping them out however she could.

Sam...however...began to get more and more _inside_ of his own head, worrying and fretting, developing nervous habits that he'd never had before. Biting his nails, running his hands through his hair. No contact with any of the others in five days scared him. He was afraid, for all of them. He tried to be strong, however, because he figured that was what his mother, the Innkeeper, would want him to do.

Unfortunately, on day 6, when the Ice Dragon landed in the middle of their camp, even that wasn't enough. Knowing that his three friends were standing right behind him as he was delivered the worst news of his life did not help. Nothing helped.

* * *

"I'm sorry..." The dragon paused. "Your mother is dead."

Sam froze. His blood felt like ice, and his breath came in quick, halting gasps. He fell to his knees, tears blurring his vision.

"The king killed her." The dragon said. "There was nothing we could do."

Sam couldn't speak. He looked around at the others; Rachel, Quinn, Blaine. They all stared at him with pity and sadness in their eyes. He thought of the others, of Brittney, Santana, Marley, Puck, Mercedes, Kurt and Tina. He thought of Kitty and Finn.

Finally he looked past the dragon at the spiral-topped towers of the castle in the distance.

"I can't do this." He whispered so quietly that only Rachel heard him.

"No, Sam, don't..." She said, rushing to him and holding him tightly.

"I can't." He brushed her off. It was true, he couldn't. His father had spent his entire life training to be a warrior, and had lost to the king. His mother, who was the strongest woman he'd ever known, had just lost her life to him. This man was far too powerful for some apprentice to even think about going after.

It would be better for everybody if he just left. He would only get in the way. He looked around at them again. They'd come so far, all of them. They'd grown so much from the people they'd been when he met them.

It seemed that everybody had grown into strong men and women except for him.

He wanted to stay, but that was selfish of him. He had led them astray with false hope for too long. He couldn't do it. Maybe they could, but he could not.

So he turned, and he told them that.

And then he turned again, and he walked away.

* * *

Rachel and the others stared after their leader in shock. He was so wrong, his idea so misconstrued. How was it possible that he'd come to such incorrect conclusions?

"I...What do we do now?" Blaine asked.

"We..." Rachel paused. Whatever was happening with Sam, she had to stand by him. At the same time, they'd all worked far too long to throw it away now. She gulped and turned towards her brother. "_You..._You have to be a leader now."

She pursed her lips and ran off after her fiancé.

* * *

Sam stormed through the trees, tears spilling down his face.

"Sam!" He heard Rachel yelling after him, but he didn't slow down until he reached a large spring. He sighed and turned around as she broke out of the tree line after him.

"Just let me do this Rachel!" Sam ran his hand through his hair.

"No!" Rachel insisted. "I love you Sam, and I'll stand by you, whatever you do, but you're making a big mistake!"

"No Rachel, I've made plenty of big mistakes in my life, but this isn't one of them."

"Yes it is!" She yelled. "You're so much stronger than you think you are!"

"But not strong enough!" Sam cried out. Rachel fell silent. "Just let me be strong _this_ time...please." He begged her.

She took a step towards him, looking him in the eyes.

"_Strong_ is _fighting_." She said. He opened his mouth but she shook her head. "No, it is! Strong is not giving up this easily, it's facing your fear even though it's hard, it's going into battle knowing that, yeah, maybe you won't come back out...but at least you'll know you tried. You taught me that! You did!"

"Rachel..." Sam whispered.

"Please Sam." She took another step towards him, but he shook his head and stepped back into the spring up to his ankles.

"I'm sorry." He turned and dove into the water.

"Sam!" She yelled, but then he was underwater and sound became distorted. She didn't chase him in, so he just continued to swim. The water was cold, it cleared his mind and allowed him to think.

He forced his eyes open and paused as a glow washed over his face.

There was light pouring out of a small enclosure near the bottom of the spring.

Intrigued, and eager to get his mind off of his current situation, he swam towards it.

Minutes later, he stepped out of the water into a massive rock chamber.

He rose to his feet and glanced around, spinning in a slow circle. When he stopped, however, the room continued to spin around him. Melting away until he stood alone in the middle of an inky black void.

"What's happening...?" Sam whispered, looking around.

Suddenly what looked like a large playing card appeared before him; it was at least nine feet tall, and it glowed brightly. The back of the card was engraved with epic drawings of people fighting dragons or trudging through frozen tundra or...

Sam paused.

There was a picture in the center of the card, of a boy, standing in the middle of the darkness, with another glowing card lighting up the space around it.

It was Sam.

The card turned around and Sam found himself staring at a massive picture of Rachel. She stood strong, face set in determination, hair blowing slightly in the wind. She was wearing tan riding pants, knee-length brown boots and a tapered red shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her sword was sheathed at her side. There were scars all over her body, but she'd never looked more beautiful.

Sam felt light to his right and turned as another card appeared out of the darkness. It turned around to reveal Blaine, standing much like Rachel was. He was dressed in brown leather pants and had a matching leather vest over a green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was also wearing green boots. He grasped the strap of his quiver, and the silver tip of his bow was visible over one shoulder.

Sam turned, almost expectantly as a card with Santana staring out at him wielding her half-swords appeared opposite Blaine's card. One after another, other cards surrounding him, blocking him in; Quinn, Brittney, Mercedes, Puck, Kurt, Tina, Marley.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Spring Awakening: Those You've Known-**

He looked around at his friends, and couldn't help but feel his heart shatter.

"Why are you showing me this?" He yelled to no one in particular.

He dropped to his knees and looked around at the cards, not bothering to hide his tears.

"I can't go back..." He whispered into his hands.

But they were a part of him...

If he'd been so strong, and so right, in leaving them behind...why did he feel so sad? Was it possible that he'd made a mistake?

_"Those you've known..." _A male voice rang out.

Sam jumped and tumbled forwards, turning around.

_"...and lost still walk behind you." _Finn smiled at him, waving slightly. _"All alone... They linger 'till they find you."_

He took a step forwards and Sam stood up, shakily.

_"Without them, the world grows dark around you." _Finn said, gesturing around at the cavern. _"And nothing is the same until you know that they have found you." _

Sam felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to find Kitty smiling sadly at him.

_"Those you've pained may carry that still with them." _She shrugged. _"All the same, they whisper all forgiven." _

She stepped forwards and took his hand, looking out at the cards.

_"Still your heart says the shadows bring the starlight, and everything you've ever been is still there in the dark night." _She finished.

Finn stepped up and grabbed Sam's other hand, and the two of them began to alternate, singing their morals.

_"Though you know." _He sang and she overlapped him._ "You've left them far behind!" _

_ "When the northern wind blows." _She frowned. _"The sorrows your heart holds."_

_ "You walk on by yourself and not with them!" _He frowned. _"Still you know, they fill your heart and mine! _

_ "There are those who still know, there's still hope!"_

_ "When they say there's a way through this."_

_ "There's still hope." _Kitty faded away and Sam nodded, crying and joining them both in song.

_"Those you've known and lost still walk behind you, all alone, there song still seems to find you." _Sam let go of their hands and stepped forwards, shaking his head as they continued to sing._ "They call you, as if you knew their longing! They whistle through the lonely wind, the long blue shadows falling..." _

Sam looked up at Rachel's card, his dead friends standing behind him.

_"All alone...but still I hear their yearning. Through the dark, the moon alone they're burning!" _He sang, tears streaming down his face. _"The stars, too, they tell of spring returning! And summer with another wind that no one yet has known!" _

Finn and Kitty both jumped back in, Sam lost in his own world, and the other two singing their truths in his ear.

_"Though you know." _Finn sang._ "There's so much more to find!" _

_"They call me!" _Sam sang firmly.

_"The northern wind blows!" _Kitty crooned.

_ "Through all things!" _Sam nodded. _"Night's falling!"_

_"Another dream, another love you'll hold." _Finn sang earnestly.

_ "But somehow on I go." _Sam frowned.

_ "The sorrows your heart's known." _Kitty belted. _"I believe!" _

_ "You watch me! Just watch me!" _Sam snapped.

_ "Still you know, to trust your own true mind!" _Finn set his face.

_"I'm calling." _Sam looked up at his love.

_ "There's still hope!" _Kitty smiled kindly.

_ "On your way, you are not alone." _Finn shook his head.

_ "From longing..." _Sam sighed and looked back at Kitty and Finn.

_ "There's still hope!" _Kitty nodded to him.

_"Now they'll walk on my arm through the distant night." _Sam sang, smiling at them, even as he cried. _"And I won't let them stray from my heart." _

He shook his head and turned to look back at the cards.

_"Through the wind, through the dark, through the winter light...I will read all their dreams to the stars!" _He began to turn in a slow circle, looking at his friends...his army. _"I'll walk now with them...I'll call on their names, and I'll see their thoughts are known."_

Kurt's card glowed with a black light.

_"Not gone."_

Marley's card shimmered yellow.

_"Not gone." _He turned to look at Tina's card. _"They walk with my heart!"_

_ "Not gone." _Kitty smiled as the card shone pink.

_"And I'll never let them go."_ He sang as Puck's card glowed a maroon color.

_ "Not gone." _Mercedes's card lit up with purple light.

_ "I'll never let them go." _Brittney's began to glow a dark royal blue.

_ "Not gone." _Quinn's started shimmering a lighter blue.

_ "I'll never let them go."_ Santana's card burst out into silver light.

_ "You watch me, just watch me." _Sam sang as Blaine's card began to glow green._ "I'm calling. I'm calling, and one day all will know."_

Rachel's card lit up red.

Sam turned to look at Kitty and Finn, stunned. They were both glowing, teal and a lighter green respectively.

"How are you here?" He asked.

"This is the place where the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest." Kitty explained.

"_Why _are you here?" He asked. "Why are you glowing?"

"We're here for you man!" Finn grinned. "And we're glowing, because we're the light. Just like you."

Sam looked down and found his skin giving off a brilliant white light.

"You're the purest of colors Sam, because you're the least tainted by darkness. That's why you have to keep fighting. You're the only one who can defeat it." Kitty said.

"I never asked for that." Sam begged them to understand. "What if I don't want to fight anymore?"

"I think you do." Finn said. "Because you've got people worth fighting for. Only you can save them. You already have."

Sam looked at Santana's card, and then over to Blaine's. He'd saved them both...just like Marley had told him.

"I couldn't save either of you." Sam said. "And I probably just broke Rachel..."

"You of all people should know that Rachel is stronger than that." Kitty insisted, approaching him and resting a hand on his shoulder. "And we were never meant to make it out of this alive. We died for the greater good."

"I'm cool with my death." Finn said. "I died fighting for the good of the world. I'm a hero. So are you." He looked at Sam sadly.

"I'm _not _a hero." Sam insisted.

"So he's not going to believe us..." Finn sighed.

"Come on out!" Kitty called.

Sam looked around in confusion.

A hearty looking old woman in nursing garb stepped out from the shadows and looked up at Blaine and Rachel's cards with pride.

"Who are you?" Sam asked.

"I'm the Nurse." The woman said simply.

Sam gasped and then turned as somebody else approached. Brittney's father looked up at his daugther's card with a beaming grin. Bruce, the Blacksmith walked out just behind him and waved at Sam, nodding at the sword still at Sam's waist; The Hero's Sword.

Sam turned once more as three more people approached. First his mother, then two other people he didn't recognize. Their arms were linked, and they kept looking from Sam to one another, eyes sparkling.

The man opened his mouth.

"Hello son."

* * *

Blaine sat at the edge of a grassy cliff that overlooked the meadow before the castle, looking off into the setting sunlight. He took a deep breath a let it out again, eyes fogging over. It felt like the world was on his shoulders, and to an extent, it was.

"Hey..." A soft dulcet voice chimed softly. He didn't look at his girlfriend as she sat down next to him.

"Hey." He swallowed sadly.

"You'll be a great leader." Quinn said, taking his hand in hers.

"I'm no Sam." He said.

"You don't have to be." Quinn shook her head.

* * *

"Son?" Sam asked, taking a step closer. His footsteps echoed around the room as he approached. The closer he got to the man in the middle, the paler he seemed.

"That's right. Son. I always knew I'd see you again..." The man blinked back tears and the other adults all watched, beaming with pride. "I'm your father Sam."

* * *

Rachel sat down at the edge of the water, tears in her eyes. She'd spent so long pushing everybody away, and she'd been changed for the better by Sam, but... now she felt so alone.

But she wasn't, she realized. She loved Sam, and that wasn't going to change, but Rachel was also her own person. She realized suddenly that there was a balance between dependence and independence.

She'd stepped over the line on both sides, and maybe it was time for her to find a balance. She sniffled and smiled softly, nodding to herself.

* * *

"My father?" Sam whispered. The man nodded, smiling a very familiar smile. Sam realized that he'd seen that grin smiling back at him with every river that he looked into.

His father looked at the woman on his arm.

"Almost twenty years ago, I fell in love. The girl I loved was the sweetest, kindest woman I'd ever met." They smiled at one another. "By the grace of God she loved me back, and you were conceived. We managed to keep the pregnancy a secret for a very long time, but her father eventually found out. He wasn't too pleased..."

"Who...who was it?" Sam asked.

"The king."

* * *

"Are you afraid?" Quinn asked, looking out at the castle. He nodded.

"Petrified." He swallowed deeply. "You?"

She laughed.

"Terrified. We could die out there, you know that right?"

He reached for her hand and grabbed it tightly.

"I know." He turned to her. "At least now we have something worth living for." He laughed.

"What's that?" Quinn asked teasingly.

"You, stupid." He laughed, nudging her. "Do you remember the day I taught you to shoot an arrow?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Look how far we've come..."

* * *

"After you were born, the King killed his daughter and sentenced you and I to death. That's why I gave you up Sam, because you would be safer in the arms of an unknown than those of a fugitive." Sam's father looked at his biological mother who nodded in confirmation.

Sam let this information sink in. This was the explanation that he'd spent his whole life wondering about.

"Dad..."

"Yes son?"

"How are you here?" He whispered; voice thick with emotion. "How are any of you?"

"You needed us to be here." Bruce smiled warmly. "You're almost there, my boy, it's just a little further."

Sam shook his head.

"I'm not strong enough!"

"You are..." His adopted mother shook her head.

"How do you know?"

"Because you have love on your side." The Nurse stepped forwards and waved a withered old hand through the air at Rachel's card.

"And you have friendship." Brittney's father smiled.

"Those are two things that I never had." His father said. "Your girlfriend is right, you're stronger than you think you are. But the thing that makes you the strongest, is that you have something worth fighting for."

Sam looked down at the illuminated ground, watching as his tears splashed against the light. Slowly the color began to fade away, giving way to the soft earthy gray of rock.

"Dad?" He looked up, startled to find the pale image of his father, the cards, and the other adults fading away.

The man smiled at him fondly.

"You've made me so proud Sam. You're a better man than I ever was." A tear slipped down his father's ghostly cheek.

"You're a wonderful person Sam." His mother said as she waved goodbye.

"I'm proud to have raised you into the man you are today." His adoptive mother smiled.

"See you later kid." Bruce smiled.

"It's just a little further!" The Nurse nodded.

"Make us proud!" Brittney's father smiled.

"Don't forget what we've said Sam. Those you've known, you carry us still with you." Kitty said.

"You're not alone. You're not ever alone." Finn nodded and a single tear slipped down his face.

By the time it hit the ground, the chamber had reverted back to a barren rocky grotto.

* * *

Rachel looked up at the sound of breaking water. Sam walked slowly out of the spring, looking at her with new light in his eyes.

As he approached her, he felt new love pumping through his veins.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "So, so sorry."

"You should be." Rachel looked at him, crying. "You of all people know how hard it was for me to open up, and then to act like you can just walk back out of my life?"

"I was wrong, and I'm so sorry for that. I'll never leave you again Rachel."

"How can I know for sure?" She asked.

* * *

"I feel so alone now Quinn..." Blaine sighed.

"What do you mean?" She asked, sitting up.

"Rachel just left...before you, she was all I had in the world."

Quinn softened, holding his hand tightly.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Darren Criss: Not Alone-**

"You're not alone anymore Blaine..." She smiled encouragingly. He frowned disbelievingly.

* * *

"I can prove it." Sam said, digging his hands into his pockets.

* * *

_"I've been alone..." _Blaine sang softly. _"Surrounded by darkness...and I've seen how heartless, the world can be..." _He whimpered. Quinn nodded and took over singing.

Across the forest, Sam pulled the small box out of his pocket. Rachel put a hand to her mouth and fresh tears spilled from her eyes.

_"And I've seen you crying..." _Quinn sang, smiling. _"You felt like its hopeless...I'll always do my best, to make you see..." _She nodded and he looked her in the eyes. She sang to him, even as she began to cry. _"Baby, you're not alone!" _She insisted, nudging him tenderly. _"Cause you're here with me, and nothing's ever gonna bring us down cause nothing can keep me from loving you."_

Rachel hastily nodded her head as Sam opened the box, revealing the glimmering diamond ring.

_ "And you know it's true. It don't matter what'll come to be, our love is all we need to make it through." _Quinn sang softly.

Blaine looked out at the castle, tears in his eyes as well, but determination etched there as well. He stood up, pulling Quinn to her feet as well.

_"Now I know it ain't easy..." _He sang. _"But it ain't hard trying." _

He looked at Quinn and she shook her head in agreement.

Sam slipped the ring onto Rachel's finger.

_"Every time I see you smiling." _He laughed and she grinned, nodding. _"And I feel you so close, to me...And you tell me..." _

Rachel leapt into Sam's arms and he held her tight.

_"Baby you're not alone!" _Blaine and Quinn sang to each other. _"Cause you're here with me."_

Sam lowered Rachel to the ground and pulled her in for a kiss.

_ "And nothing's ever gonna bring us down cause nothing can keep me from loving you, and you know it's true!"_

Rachel pulled apart and turned, beckoning him to follow her back into the forest. He paused and turned to look at the water.

_ "It don't matter what'll come to be, our love is all we need to make it through." _Blaine and Quinn both smiled and leaned in to kiss once more.

Sam pulled the note from his father out of his pocket; looking out at the spring he opened his mouth to sing.

_"I still have trouble! I trip and stumble tryin' to make sense of things sometimes..."_ He folded the note twice into a small square. _"I look for reasons...But I don't need 'em, all I need is to look in your eyes."_

He glanced over his shoulder at where Rachel was waiting for him by the forest's edge. He threw the note into the spring and turned away.

_"And I realize!" _He sang, taking her hand. She smiled and joined him to sing the chorus. _"Baby I'm not alone! Cause you're here with me!" _

She led him back through the forest, hands clasped tightly as he ran his finger over her engagement ring.

_"And nothing's ever gonna take us down!" _They paused and Sam nodded for Rachel to continue.

_"Cause nothing can keep me from loving you!" _She sang, smiling. _"And you know it's true!" _

_ "It don't matter what'll come to be..." _Blaine sang as he and Quinn separated. _"Our love is all we need to make it through, ooh cause you're here with me." _He crooned softly.

_ "And nothing's ever gonna bring us down..." _Quinn smiled.

_"Cause nothin'-"_ Sam shook his head.

_ "Nothin'." _Rachel nodded.

_ "Nothin'." _Blaine grinned.

_ "Can keep me from loving you!" _Quinn sang dulcetly.

_"And you know it's true..." _Sam sang.

_"Ooh, it don't matter what'll come to be..." _Rachel wailed as she and Sam stepped out onto the cliff where Blaine and Quinn stood. The others turned to face them.

_ "You know our love," _Sam wailed. _"Is all we need."_

_ "Our love is all we need." _Blaine nodded to him.

They approached each other and wrapped up in a meaningful group hug.

_"To make it..." _Sam sang.

They closed their eyes as they finished the song together. _"Through..."_

* * *

**Reflections**

Blaine smiled down into the ashes of the fire as he cooked the fish overtop of it. He looked up, past the flames at the figure who was sitting there, gnawing on an apple overenthusiastically. He was overjoyed, he couldn't even begin to describe it. His companion finished the apple and Blaine laughed, standing up.

"Flower, you are going to get fat." He said, taking the fish from the fire and setting it to the side, walking around and patting the scruff of his deer friend's neck.

Blaine and his deer moved off out of the small clearing and he caught Mercedes's eye, she grinned at him. It had been she who thought to go to the woods behind Violetedge and fetch Blaine's first friend, and when Blaine had woken the morning of the seventh day to find his deer casually eating his hair, triangular hat still firmly in place atop her head, he was positive that he'd been dreaming.

The campsite had grown in size, almost exponentially. It seemed as though every single member of the Kingdom had shown up to fight for their freedom. People and animals alike had arrived to show their support; the wolf pack, the three bears, the dragons, Flower, the citizens of Ostvale, Fayhaven, Starryville, even the bartender from the fishing village had shown up.

After some quick recalculating, Quinn had discovered that their plans of invasion would work even better now. They could risk sending even more of their focal fighters into the castle, now that they had more people to cover the grounds.

The plan was stated again and again, everybody knew what they were to do. A lot of the plan involved thinking on their feet, because they couldn't be sure who or what they would come across in or around the castle. There were two main fields of combat for the initial battling; the air crew, and the ground crew.

Most of the 'soldiers' didn't have much combat training, so Rachel, Kurt and Puck led a workout session every morning for the entire week leading up to their planned invasion trying to make sure that everybody had at least basic knowledge.

Blaine and Quinn sought out and trained a handful of people who had brought ranged weapons, and had assigned them each to a dragon for the war and training them in any way that they could.

Some of the other soldiers stepped up to teach their friends or family members everything _they _knew, in fact, it was rare to see anybody sitting around doing nothing.

* * *

Sam smiled and looked up at the moon.

It was the night before they planned to invade the castle. The soldiers had to know that they were coming at this point, but Sam's army was nothing to scoff at, and they hadn't been attacked, Sam reasoned, because the soldiers wouldn't have the home field advantage in the Blackapple Woods.

Most of the citizens had fallen asleep, getting their rest before the final battle. The only ones who remained awake, were a handful of musicians jamming off to the side, and the original fugitives.

Sam looked around at his army, sitting happily around the campfire, all awaiting the battle that was before them. There wasn't a soldier among them who didn't understand that any one of them could die tomorrow, and yet, all he saw were smiles.

He looked at Kurt; he'd almost single-handedly recruited the majority of their current army. They wouldn't have stood a chance against the Imperial Soldiers without the citizens. At least now, thanks to Kurt, they'd evened out the playing field. Sam didn't need to prove that Kurt was strong; he'd proven that himself when he almost plummeted into the belly of the sea serpent, and had kicked it in the teeth instead, or when he stood strong against the army of spiders in the Vertglass Mines.

He was a sweet boy, but he was a fighter, that much had been apparent right from their first meeting that night just outside of Whitemist Forest, when he was prepared to fight them all to protect his city, and his life. Kurt was one of the strongest soldiers they had, having trained himself since birth to defend the only life he'd ever known. Sam was proud of how far he'd come, from the isolated individual living alone, to the leader of the rebel army.

Sam looked across the circle at where Puck was drinking from a bottle that Santana and Marley had brought back with them. Puck was the strongest fighter they had. He'd saved all of their lives in the Vertglass Mines, he was the only one to drive off Coal in the Fire Dragon's den, and he'd been the main objective for much of their journey. More importantly, he had somehow found the strength to keep going, when his sister had been killed right in front of him. Puck was the strongest fighter they had indeed, and Sam meant that both physically, and emotionally.

Somehow, Puck had managed to survive on his own, as a fugitive, along the Silvershore. Sam knew firsthand how hard it was to stay sane as a fugitive, even with friends by your side, so he was awestruck that Puck had managed to live for so long in such solitude. He'd adapted well, however, to their group dynamic, and, as he watched him chatting almost silently to Mercedes, Sam couldn't help but be happy that they'd found one another.

Sam looked at the biracial girl sitting next to Puck, all rosy cheeked and happy and so obviously smitten. He owed her more than he could count; she'd saved them in Violetedge and stayed strong when she thought she was going to die. She'd chosen them, over who she had believed to be her true love. More than that, Mercedes had found the strength to walk away from a love that was hurting her, more than it healed. Sam could only imagine how impossible that was.

That kind of strength was something that Sam didn't even think he possessed. There were a lot of people in their group that inspired him, but Mercedes was definitely one of his heroes. She was the only one of all of them who had gone through what she'd gone through, she represented the difficult side of love, a side that the rest of them had been lucky enough to avoid for the most part. She caught his eye and smiled, he smiled back.

Then there was Tina, the small-town girl who had wanted so much to help, but had never known how. She'd saved Sam's life in the cottage of the Witch of Whitemist Forest. Actually, she'd saved them all; Rachel, Blaine, Finn and Santana. If Tina hadn't gathered her strength when she did, they might all be plant food. Tina had never been their strongest fighter, but she'd always been their strongest heart. She knew she wasn't going to wield a broadsword like Puck, or command an army like Kurt, but she'd worked privately until she developed her own invaluable skill; healing. She'd been a saviour yet again when Santana broke her leg. If Tina hadn't healed her...Brittney would no longer be with them.

Tina was, in Sam's opinion, one of the bravest of their soldiers, because she'd abandoned a comfortable life to help them. Most of the others had abandoned lives of solitude and fear and captivity in order to fight for somebody, but Tina had been a well-off individual with a steady career and good friends already. She had every right to leave them after Whitemist Forest, but she'd persevered for the greater good, and now she was putting her life on the line for them. He didn't know if he would ever _stop_ owing her.

Just across the fire from Tina, sat Marley. Marley was the strongest mage that they had. She'd guided Quinn and Sam to Violetedge, she'd guided Sam to his friends on Falcon Bridge, she'd been an outside influence for so long, but as soon as she was given the chance, she'd jumped to be on the inside. If not for Marley, Quinn would never have been returned to them! Sam would never have gotten through to Blaine...and they were all aware of how much she'd helped them through Finn.

Marley was the newest member of their army. Sam hadn't been sure how she'd fit in, initially, being so new, and so powerful, but she'd integrated herself into their group seamlessly, and now he could hardly imagine their force without her. He smiled at her and she smiled back, waving. He suspected that she was probably reading his thoughts as he looked around at their small group, and her slight nod proved to him that he was right. He laughed and glared at her. She shrugged and gestured for him to move on to the girl next to her; Santana.

Sam almost didn't know where to start with Santana; she'd been the first person to join them of her own free will. Whereas Sam and Quinn had practically coerced Rachel and Blaine to join, they'd actually tried to _forbid_ Santana from tagging along. She was probably the most stubborn member of their group, however, and had followed them anyways, all in the name of their safety! That was selflessness if Sam had ever known it.

Like Tina, Santana had left a relatively comfortable life behind, trading it in for their life of living off the land and sleeping on the ground, and she rarely complained. Like Finn, Santana had constantly kept everybody's spirits up. She was a hilarious individual, but he remembered how strong she'd been when Ree had tried to kill Brittney. If not for Santana's heart, and determination, than they wouldn't have escaped that battle alive, none of them, not just Brittney.

Santana had also been fortunate enough to find love in this hopeless world, just like Sam had, and how Quinn, Rachel, Mercedes, Puck and Blaine had. Santana was special, however, in that she hadn't meant to fall for Brittney. While the others had eventually fallen for each other, it was a gradual thing, and they had time to adjust. It wasn't until Brittney's life was on the line that Santana realized just how strongly she felt for the other girl.

Brittney, Quinn, Blaine, Rachel... He looked at the other four one after the other. They were his rocks in this terrible world. Without them, none of this would've been possible. He loved everybody in the army, but these four had been there longer, had overcome more...They were the principal characters in his story, and he owed them more than just his life.

Brittney had saved them from Savannah, Coal and Riker at the very beginning. She'd lied to royalty without batting an eye, just because she knew she had to. Because of this, she had been forced out on her own. Brittney had followed the same path as the others, but she'd crept around behind the scenes, helping as much as she could. It was because of her that Mercedes was alive, that Santana was with them, that Kitty had made them leave Fayhaven in time, and she didn't really get any credit for it.

Brittney had been homeless at the start; she'd been lost and alone. Brittney didn't know how to love, not really. Through their journey, however, Brittney had learned that a home didn't have to be stationary. She'd discovered a home with them, with her friends and her girlfriend, and Sam couldn't be more proud of his best friend.

Blaine was another story entirely. Right from his entrance into Sam's life, he had been in the thick of it. He'd saved them twice before he even knew their names, and he'd done so for little reason other than it was the right thing to do. He'd helped them, even though nobody had helped him and his sister when they were in the same situation. He'd volunteered to lead the expedition with the Dragons, he'd managed to stay conscious in the Vertglass Mines, and more importantly, he'd managed to show Quinn that it's better to be the most beautiful thing in the world to one person, than it is to be sexy to a sleezy population.

Blaine had always been friendly, but he'd also clearly been afraid to take a chance on people, to get too close, because once he was there...it obviously scared him. It wasn't surprising really, that he and Rachel had ended up that way. It was a parent's job to love their children, and the siblings had been deprived of that. Now, Sam was proud to call him one of his best friends, and he was sure that the feeling was reciprocated.

Then there was Quinn, who had always tried to think for the good of the group, trying not to let her heart lead, trying to think clearly for everybody! She had died for them! Just like Finn and Kitty, Quinn had died for their group. She had found her mother again when they returned to Ostvale, and then...Quinn had somehow found the strength to leave her, in all the uncertainty and confusion, she'd left her behind for a _second_ time.

Quinn had been one of his two best friends at the very start of his journey, and here she was, one of his best friends at the end. They weren't as close, Sam supposed, as they had been then. But that was okay...because they'd gone through so much, that no matter how much they drifted, they would always be a part of one another's lives.

Rachel...

Sam didn't know where to start with Rachel. Didn't know if he _could _start with Rachel! She was the true leader of their group, because she led him when he didn't know how. She managed to bring him out of his own head. She willingly chased down her parents, after everything they had done to her. She had managed to survive and take care of her brother at the same time. She had always lived, not just for herself, but for everybody around her. Now, she was putting her life on the line for the same people.

He loved her.

Sam paused, smiling to himself at how lucky he was to have friends as great as these, he looked around at them, fire sparkling in his eyes.

"Hey Sam!" Santana yelled suddenly. He looked up and she passed him a bottle. He thanked her and looked around at his friends.

"I think it's time for a song." He said, laughing.

"I think you're right." Rachel nodded.

"Hell yeah!" Marley cheered. Blaine laughed.

"Take it away fearless leader!" Brittney grinned.

"Actually, I think Tina deserves to start this one..." He said, smiling. She looked surprised but everybody clapped her on the back and cheered her on.

"Umm...okay!" She said.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Tarzan: You'll Be In My Heart-**

Sam grinned and nodded. Some of the citizens of the Kingdom approached them, instruments in hand. The band started up and Tina rocked to the beat. She looked at her friends.

_"Come stop your crying it will be alright." _She smiled and tilted her head, nodding. _"Just take my hand, hold it tight."_

_ "I will protect you from, all around you." _Puck draped his arm over Mercedes's shoulders and she snuggled up into him. _"I will be here, don't you cry."_

_ "For one so small, you seem so strong!" _Blaine smiled, turning to face Quinn and hold her hands. _"My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm!"_

_ "This bond between us; can't be broken." _Rachel shook her head, looking up at Sam. _"I will be here, don't you cry." _

Tina nodded at Puck, Blaine and Rachel and the four of them stood up, singing together around the campfire as the others watched.

_"Cause you'll be in my heart!" _They grinned; Tina throwing her hands out and then pressing them against her chest. _"Yes you'll be in my heart! From this day on!" _Blaine pointed at the ground for emphasis. _"Now and forever more!" _Rachel and Puck locked eyes, nodding and smiling emphatically.

_"You'll be in my heart!" _Marley and Kurt sang together, standing slowly.

_"No matter what they say!" _Kurt cut his hand through the air.

_"You'll be in my heart..." _They sang together, and then Kurt fell away as Marley finished the phrase. _"Always."_

Santana stood up slowly, dusting herself off and turning to Brittney.

_"Why can't they understand the way we feel?" _She shrugged, reaching out and holding her hands where she sat. _"They just don't trust, what they can't explain."_

Puck turned to Mercedes as she sang to him.

_ "I know we're different but...deep inside us...we're not that different at all." _She held up her hand and he took it, bringing her to her feet.

Neither Santana nor Mercedes took their eyes off of their significant others as they belted out the chorus together.

_"And you'll be in my heart! Yes you'll be in my heart!" _They sang, Mercedes nodding determinedly. _"From this day on, now and forever more!" _Santana pulled Brittney to her feet and she stepped forwards, clenching a fist and locking eyes with Rachel across the campfire.

_"Don't listen to them! Cause what do they know?" _Brittney nodded sharply.

_"What do they know?" _Santana backed her up softly.

_"We need each other, to have, to hold!" _Rachel sang, grinning at Brittney as she joined her in song. _"They'll see in time..."_

_ "I know..." _Brittney smiled, finishing the line.

_"When destiny calls you, you must be strong!" _Sam sang, standing and staring at the sky.

_"You've got to be strong..." _Puck repeated.

_"I may not be with you..." _Quinn grabbed Blaine's hands and joined everybody else in standing. _"But you've got to hold on."_

_ "They'll see in time..." _Sam joined her, locking eyes. _"I know..."_

Kurt stepped forwards and belted out the lead in to the next chorus.

_"We'll show them together cause-"_

_ "You'll be in my heart!" _Marley and Tina belted together.

_"Believe me you'll be in my heart!" _Tina nodded.

_"I'll be there from this day on!" _Marley jabbed her finger towards the ground firmly.

_"Now and forever more!" _Sam belted, squeezing his eyes shut as everybody jumped in for the chorus.

_"Oh you'll be in my heart!"_

_ "You'll be here in my heart!" _Blaine wailed, pounding his chest.

_"No matter what they say." _

_ "I'll be with you."_ Santana nodded.

_"You'll be here in my heart."_

_ "I'll be there, always." _Rachel smiled tenderly.

_"Always..." _Sam sang, looking down at her.

_"I'll be with you!" _Brittney nodded honestly.

_"I'll be there for you always!" _Kurt wailed.

_"Always and always." _Quinn leaned against Blaine's arm.

_"Just look over your shoulder." _Mercedes and Puck sang together.

_"Just look over your shoulder." _Tina and Marley repeated.

_"Just look over your shoulder..." _They all jumped in and then Sam finished solo, smiling at his army. _"I'll be there, always..."_

* * *

_**So there you have it; Sam's father fell in love with the King's daughter and impregnated her, when the King found out, he killed her and sentenced Sam and his father to death. Fearing for the life of his son, Sam's father left him with the Innkeeper in Ostvale and fled until the soldiers caught up with him and he was killed. Now, with all of the questions answered, and all of their journeys complete, its time for the army to march into battle, and take on the people who have made this Kingdom miserable. Everything comes to a head in the final battle as everybody must finally duke it out with their rivals, and when the rain begins to pour and the battle draws to a close, one death may shock everything. **_

**_Read and review please!_**


	16. Chapter 16

_******This is it, the beginning of the end. Everybody must face their demons, but together, they can make it through. These chapters are going to be shorter, because I don't want to throw everything at you all at once. **_

**_Please review! The reviews are what make me WANT to finish this! Hahah, pleasepleaseplease!_**

_**The Final Battle**_

Sam looked up at the castle as they approached. It looked like a painter had captured the moment in time, there were countless soldiers lined up in front of it, spears and swords and shields held at the ready. There were several ink black dragons circling the sky above, and standing behind it were four massive trolls almost as tall as the building itself.

He took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder at the other soldiers.

"Are you scared?" Rachel asked at his side, her sword trembling in warning of impending danger.

"No." He said.

He'd been afraid for too long. He'd spent too much of his life running and hiding. No, Sam had a purpose, he had a destiny, and it was about to be fulfilled. The King had underestimated him when he decided to pick this battle. Sam was more than just some peasant boy. Maybe long ago, he'd been that carefree individual, but he'd grown. Sam wasn't a boy anymore, he was more than that. He wasn't just a Blacksmith's apprentice either, he was a hero, and he was fighting for something worth fighting for.

He held Rachel's hand tightly and looked at her, watching the fire spark in her eyes.

"Are you?" He asked.

"No." She smiled.

Rachel had spent her entire life; from the moment she was born into the castle, trying to be good enough, trying to be brave enough, trying to be strong enough. Finally, after eighteen years, it was time to take action. She _was_ good, and brave, and strong, and now it was time to prove that those things had been inside of her all along. She'd just needed the right person to come along and show her.

She looked over at Sam, squeezing his hand.

Thanks to Sam, and all of the people that she'd met along the way, she was the woman that she'd always wanted to be. She was living the life she'd always dreamed, not the life of a soldier, or a warrior, but the life of a friend, of a family member, of a loved one. These people had made her the person she was today, and she would fight to the death for each and every one of them.

She looked up at the sky as a shadow drifted overhead and smiled at her brother, who was staring at the sky, straddling the Ice Dragon's neck, eyes transfixed on the dragons circling in the air. He glanced down and caught her eye, smiling and nodding in determination. She nodded back.

Blaine looked back up, eyeing the dark dragons with resigned eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around at the armies below. This was a fight for love; he knew that, just as surely as he knew that he was a soldier of love. He was ready to fight to the death, tooth and nail, for their army, for their cause, for his friends. Each of them...each of them had shown him something, had shown him how to live in such a brutal world, and he was not going to let that go without a fight.

It was time for love to prevail, because they'd lost enough already on this journey, and it didn't always come back. No matter what happened at this castle, he was ready for it, because he had his friends by his side. He wasn't alone on this journey, he knew that now, he'd never been alone. As long as there was somebody there in your heart...you were never alone.

He looked down at Santana, walking on Sam's other side and she looked up at him, catching his gaze. They both flashed back to their first interaction at her barn and she smiled, looking back towards the castle.

Santana had grown from a sheltered farm girl who had never seen the world, to a strong, determined woman fighting to protect it. She knew that this could be her final hour, but she would rather die fighting for a world of hope, than live hiding in a world of chaos. She'd started her journey seeking adventure, seeking a sense of belonging in the world.

She'd found it, here, with these people around her. People underestimated how important a bond could be. People thought too highly of money, and work, and health, but it was _people_ that were most important, it always had been. Each bond you made, each person you met, was like a rope that tied you together. As your friendship grew, the rope became thicker and thicker, until you knew that it wasn't going to break, no matter how long it became, or how far away the other person was, it wasn't going to break.

Yeah, Santana reasoned, ropes got tangled sometimes, but every knot was once straight rope, and if you worked together, you could fix any problem. Only cowards severed the ties completely.

The people around her stood determinedly as Sam halted them all. Each individual's face etched in the same determined line. They were all fighting for something, for somebody. They all brought something to the table, and now it was time to prove that they were a force to be reckoned with.

"This is it." Sam said. "This is our moment."

He turned to face them and saw the faces of his friends looking back at him, giving him strength.

"This is _our_ story." He said. "A story of overcoming the odds even when they're stacked against you, a story of reaching heights you'd never even dared to climb, because you never had somebody there to catch you if you fell, a story of being stronger than you could ever dream. Basically, this is a story of good versus evil, of light versus dark."

Sam pointed over his shoulder at the castle and nodded his head.

"They may outman us, and they may outgun us, but we have them beat in heart!" He said, pounding his chest. "We might not all come back from this battle, but at least we went into it for something worth fighting for. This is the battle that will decide the war, and I know we can do it!"

Rachel took a deep breath and smiled at her fiancé, nodding.

"Because we have bravery on our side." Rachel said, stepping up next to him. "This is a battle for the freedom of all of us, the entire Kingdom! We've all come together, human _and_ animal, to show this King that we are tired of living in the dark! With courage, we can take back the light and make it through this!"

She looked at Sam, smiling.

"And with love." He said, hugging her tightly. He pulled back and looked up at the sky at where Blaine was smiling down at them from his perch on the Ice Dragon. "And friendship!" He yelled. Blaine nodded, thanking him.

"And determination!" Blaine yelled, looking down at Santana. He turned to look at Quinn, sitting atop the Fire Dragon. "And hope."

She smiled at him and thanked him for the acknowledgement.

"And reliability!" Santana cried, reaching over and squeezing Brittney's hand. The blonde girl squeezed back and then looked over her shoulder at Mercedes.

"Compassion." She smiled at her and Mercedes blushed, hugging her quickly and turning to find Puck.

"And strength, inside and out." She held him close to her, treasuring what few moments they might've had left.

Puck looked at Tina over Mercedes's back and nodded politely.

"Faith." He said.

"Trust." Tina added, reaching over and holding Marley's hand.

Marley smiled at her and reached over for Kurt's hand.

"And leadership."

"Wisdom and sincerity too." Quinn said from atop her dragon. "Because Kitty and Finn are here with us, fighting, just like Bruce, and just like everybody else that we lost on this journey. This is a war for the living, and the dead. This is a war we can't afford to lose."

"We're an army of love!" Blaine said. "So let's show them just how powerful that is!"

"Soldiers ready!" Sam yelled and raised his sword in the air.

There was a loud triumphant battle cry as the citizens of Ostvale, Violetedge, Fayhaven and Starryville raised their weapons. Flower the deer stood strong with the Three Bears and several other animals near the wolf pack, and the dragons roared from the air above them.

"United we stand! Divided we fall, but from this point onwards, we are _not_ alone! We never were! This is it! Our final chapter! Let's do this!"

* * *

"What are you thinking?" The Queen asked, not nervous, not even intrigued, but cold and calculated as she stepped up next to her husband on the top of the largest battlement atop the castle.

"That this little nuisance is coming to an end." The King laughed and glanced over his shoulder at where Clyde and Fiona stood scowling. "Looks like you might just get to say hello to your offspring once more."

"They won't make it that far." Clyde snapped, glaring out from beneath the scar that had marred his perfect features.

He and his wife stepped forwards, staring out at the oncoming army.

"Dragons!" He roared. "Attack!"

All of the Elite members of the army who stood strong atop the parapets braced themselves as the five black dragons sped past, whipping up a veritable windstorm as they did.

"You underestimate them." Another cold voice drawled, laced with venom.

Clyde whipped around, glaring daggers at the man standing further from the rest of them. Fiona stepped between the two.

"I don't remember anybody asking your opinion Piper." She said coldly.

"Nobody did Fiona. But if you'd rather I left, than I could happily work alongside the children." The Piper said smoothly.

"Whose side are you on _Piper?" _Clyde snarled.

"My own." He said. "As I see it now, _we _have power. Power wins war, but those children have some element to them that I don't understand. That I _can't _seem to understand. Do you know how many escaped me Clyde? Five."

"None escaped me." Clyde scoffed, tossing his hair.

"You also did little more than scare them into becoming better fighters after a band of wild animals sent you scampering away. Tell me, how many scars did you leave on the boy? Did you even recognize your _daughter? _Your _son?"_

"Shut up!"

"And how many scars did he leave on _you _Clyde?" The Piper snarled.

"Enough!" The King roared.

Clyde snapped back into place, but the Piper sent a slow glare at the King before taking a step back as another figure stalked forwards, cackling madly, a crazed look in his eyes and scars creating a hideous mask all over his body.

"I've got a lot to do! Much to do today!" He giggled. "Have to kill her. Finally going to kill her! Thought she could get away, her and her little _boyfriend._" He stopped giggling abruptly and roared.

"Savannah, control him." The Queen drawled and Savannah snickered, stepping forwards and pulling her brother backwards.

"They are dangerous though, your highness." Savannah said. "Real dangerous."

"I killed one of them no problem." Riker laughed, stepping forwards. "And I'll gladly do it again, just as soon as I get out on that battlefield."

"I killed one too..." The Piper said. "But they are stronger now. Bigger! Braver! Smarter. They have everything to gain and nothing to lose, whereas we have little to gain and _everything _to lose. We have to be prepared to deal with loss."

"Loss!" The King laughed. "Me, the King! The strongest combatant in the entire Kingdom! You expect me to lose to a child?" He laughed again.

"I expect you might." The Piper said.

The King snapped his jaw closed and looked up at the Piper.

"If you weren't an ally right now, I would kill you myself."

"Do it." He laughed. "Save them the trouble."

"What do you propose than Piper?" The Queen asked, sounding curious for the first time.

"I propose we stay in the castle." He shrugged, turning away.

"What?" Riker shrieked.

"There isn't a doubt in my mind that those kids won't make it past your army and into the castle. We are this side's strongest warriors, and if we're spread thin throughout the battlegrounds, who will protect the King?"

"I don't need protecti-"

"Then send us out into the fields." The Piper turned back around, locking eyes with the King.

There was a moment of tense silence as the two men stared one another down. Finally, without moving his eyes, the King spoke.

"Spread out within the castle. Let nobody through. If we're lucky, this battle will be over without any of us lifting a finger."

"And if we're not?" The Queen asked, strolling to the side of the battlement and looking down at where a wolf was ripping out the throat of one of their soldiers.

"Let hell have mercy on their souls."

* * *

Quinn dug down low on the Fire Dragon's back as he flipped forwards through the air overtop of one of the black dragons. She dug her knees in and let her upper body flip upside down as she whipped her bow from over her shoulder, firing an arrow straight down into the wing of the enemy.

The other dragon roared and clamped down hard on the Fire Dragon's tail. He roared as his opponent whipped its neck around, spinning him haphazardly through the air.

_"Hold on!" _He yelled up to Quinn, but she was slipping.

"Blaine!" She yelled as she was pitched off of the dragon and through the air.

Blaine pressed tightly to the Ice Dragon's back as they sped towards her.

"Flip over!" Blaine yelled and the Ice Dragon obliged.

Hanging upside down, Blaine locked his knees and held his hands down. Quinn grabbed them and used her momentum to keep spinning letting go as Blaine flew past her again.

"Thunder!" He yelled before the Ice Dragon full body tackled a dark dragon.

_"Gotcha!" _The Thunder Dragon swooped in low under Quinn and she landed firmly on his neck. Without missing a beat, she fired off another arrow into the mouth of a dragon charging straight for him.

The dragon howled and went down, crashing into the ground and crushing several soldiers beneath its massive body.

"Marley!" Brittney turned, yelling towards the brunette who lay directly in the dragon's path. Marley turned to face the oncoming body, shooting her hands out and sending a wave of power towards the dragon, slowing its path.

She gritted her teeth as several soldiers closed in on her other side and then swung her arms upwards, flipping the dragon's dead body over her head and smashing it into the opponents on her other side.

"Thanks!" She turned to Brittney and she nodded but gasped as Marley suddenly shot her arms out, sending Brittney flying backwards out of the path of the massive club of one of the trolls.

Brittney gritted her teeth and ran at the thing's feet, jumping into the air as it slammed the club down at her again. Brittney landed on top of it and the troll lifted the club into the air. Brittney braced herself, balancing atop it until she was tossed into the air above the large enemy's head.

She raised her sword over her head as it looked up at her, narrowing its stupid eyes. It raised its club and swatted at her, trying to knock her out of the sky, but she twisted in midair, arching her back and then flipping her feet up so that the club sailed past her.

She righted herself and drilled her sword through the fiend's forehead.

Immediately the troll began to fall and Brittney tensed her legs, with no alternative but to jump for safety.

"Quinn!" She yelled as the other blonde sailed past and the Thunder Dragon did a one eighty, twisting around and giving Quinn just enough time to grab Brittney's hand.

"Bring her down!" Quinn yelled and the Thunder Dragon nodded, flying low over the enemy soldiers.

Brittney let go of Quinn's hand and hit the ground rolling. She tucked into her shoulder and used her momentum to push herself back to her feet, sweeping her sword out and clashing swords with somebody.

"Kurt?" She looked at him and he disengaged from her.

"You guys have to get inside!" Kurt told her. "We can handle this! Get to the door!"

"It's closed!" Brittney protested.

"I'll get it open." He told her, ducking under a sweeping sword and following through with a slice through the midsection of the offending soldier.

Brittney nodded and ran off through the throng of battlers, and it wasn't long before Kurt found the others. Rachel and Mercedes were back to back, neither looking particularly worn out. Mercedes looking quite comfortable with the new staff Puck had fashioned for her.

"Get to the door!" Kurt yelled to them, jumping in and forming a triangle with them.

"What?" Rachel yelled back.

"I can handle these guys!"

"There are like, hundreds of these guys!" Mercedes protested.

"There are hundreds of us! I'll stay out here, you guys keep going! I've got an army to lead!" Kurt yelled out.

"The door-"

"I'll handle the door!" He yelled impatiently.

The three of them all braced themselves as Blaine managed to knock one of the other dragons out of the sky and it came rolling down in a heap on the ground. Seconds later the Earth Dragon plummeted out of the sky after it.

"No!" Puck growled, running past them.

Kurt peeled off and raced after him as he sped towards the Earth Dragon's body. A troll lumbered over and raised its club high over his head.

"Fuck you! Not today mother fucker!" Puck yelled, whipping the hook from over his back and throwing it through the air. It caught on the troll's bicep and twisted its arm back over its head as Puck ran beneath his feet, tying it tightly to its ankle.

"Puck!" Kurt yelled as the other boy began to scale the rope.

"Busy!" He yelled back, upside down.

The troll roared and tried to shake him off, almost succeeding as Puck's feet dislodged but the boy swung back up and began to crawl further towards its head.

"Kill it, then get to the gates!" Kurt yelled up to him.

"Got it!" He responded.

Kurt nodded and turned away, making eye contact with Sam who was fighting nearby.

"You hear that?" He asked.

"What'll you do?" Sam yelled back.

They both paused as another huge thud echoed across the battlefield indicating Puck's success.

"Lead my army!" He responded.

"Okay. Who have you seen?"

"Everybody but the mages, the archers and Santana." He responded.

"I'll get Santana." Sam said, pointing through the throng of enemies at where several were clumped in a circle around her, clearing pinpointing her as a great threat. "Tina went to find Marley like, three seconds ago."

Two wolves leapt into the action near Santana suddenly, and as Sam joined in, they made quick work of the small crowd.

"We're getting to the door!" He told her and she nodded, not questioning his authority, trusting him and the plan completely. "We need to get through. We take out the Elite soldiers, the rest won't matter." He said firmly as they reached the door, where much of the fighting appeared to be taking place.

Santana and Sam broke through the ranks of enemy soldiers and turned to fight alongside Brittney, Rachel, Mercedes and Puck as a third dark dragon fell from the sky.

"How do you know they're inside?" Santana asked.

"Because if they were out here, they would have come for us first." He said.

A thick line of magic shot through the enemies suddenly, forcing a small gap between them. Marley and Tina held hands, pushing the soldiers away as the mages made their way through.

The sky darkened momentarily as two dragons swooped in, criss-crossing past one another as Blaine and Quinn hopped off.

"What's Kurt's big plan?" Blaine asked, coming up behind Sam and shooting an arrow past his ear at a soldier who had gotten too close.

Suddenly one of the trolls stopped, almost directly in front of the door and wobbled, pitching backwards towards them.

"Scatter!" Puck yelled, and they did, watching as the troll's massive head totally annihilated the gate. Kurt stood behind it with several of her men, all holding a thick length of rope. A makeshift tripwire.

"Go!" He yelled.

"They'll follow us..." Blaine realized uncertainly as he backed through the hole, shooting an arrow through at the soldiers who were lurching towards them.

"No they won't." Marley said. "Just keep going, don't turn back, I'll cover the door."

"Marley?" Tina asked, but Rachel grabbed her arm and pulled her forwards.

Marley flexed her hands and let out a ripple of energy that formed a barrier over the hole. She grinned as magic filled her eyes, giving them a powerful yellow colour as she lowered her hands and whipped out her daggers.

"Come and get me." She scowled.

"Keep going!" Sam yelled as they entered the huge lobby. There was a stairwell in the middle leading up to the second story. Sam led the way forwards, the others running in a scattered formation behind him.

"No. Stay." A voice cackled and they all paused as Coal stepped out of a shadowed corner of the room.

"He's mine." Mercedes said stepping forwards and raising her staff defensively.

"Oh, I don't think any of you are going to go much further." Savannah laughed stepping out from the other corner.

"No, Savannah, I think you're right." Riker laughed, slowly descending the stairs between them. "There's a new leader to this team, and you're not getting past me that easily."

Riker paused as somebody tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned and Puck drop-kicked him in the face so hard that he rolled down the stairs.

"It was pretty easy. Actually." Puck snarled, stalking down the stairs towards him.

Puck looked up at the others.

"Go!" He yelled.

"Right." Sam nodded, running past Riker as he scrambled to his feet.

Riker swung his sword through the air as Quinn ran past and she shrieked, but Puck reached his enemy just in time to counter the blow and kick him backwards.

"You killed my sister." Puck said. "And I've got some serious anger issues."

Riker growled, rising to his feet.

"Let's see if we can work those out than, eh?" He spat, wiping blood from his lip.

Puck heard a whistling in his ear and turned, yelling in surprise as Savannah's knives swept across his cheek. She grinned and stalked towards him, licking his blood off of the blade. Puck crinkled his nose in disgust.

"Two against one in this cat and mouse game. Looks like the kitty just became the-"

"Shut up you rat." Tina snapped, turning around on the stairs and sending Savannah flying through the air with her powers.

Savannah shrieked as she hit the ground and slid along it.

Tina turned back to the others, nodding.

"Go. I guess I'll take her on."

"Alright." Rachel nodded, running past Sam and grabbing his hand to pull him forwards.

"Where to?" Blaine called out.

"There!" Quinn pointed towards an open door directly in front of the first set of stairs which opened into a spiral staircase. "Go up, that's where the King will be!"

"Right." Brittney nodded, taking the lead and speeding forwards. She hit the steps and took them two at a time, not bothering to pause before whipping open the door at the top. She heard the whistling of an oncoming attack and slid to her knees, nose barely missing the cold metal of the Pied Piper's flute as it swung overhead.

Brittney reached up and kicked the villain in the knees, sending him stumbling backwards as the others filed out behind her.

"You again!" Quinn gasped, stepping forwards.

"You?" The Piper blinked at her. "I killed you! She said you weren't dead but I...I know I killed you!"

"Well you didn't do a very good job." Quinn scoffed, stepping forwards, bow firmly in hand. "And this time, I can move."

She half turned to the others.

"Keep going." She said.

"Quinn, the last time we fought him, there were five of us fighting, and we still didn't win!" Rachel hissed.

"Well now I'm here." Brittney said, stepping up next to her best friend. "I'm not gonna let you go through this alone. Not again."

"Shouldn't Blaine stay with her?" Sam asked.

"No...I've got my own grudges to settle." Blaine said.

"Oh yeah..." Sam frowned. "_Them_."

"Get going!" Brittney yelled, ducking low as the Piper tired of their conversation and pitched his flute at her head. It boomeranged back to him as Santana whipped open another door revealing a second spiral staircase leading further up towards the tallest tower's common room.

"Go, go!" She beckoned them forwards and Blaine went through first, stepping up into the common room and looking around warily. He knew they were close, they had to be.

The other three filtered out behind him and they all slowly stepped forwards, arms on their weapons, making no sudden moves. Two sets of stairs on either side of the room led to a landing, where another set of stairs led all the way up to a trap door in the ceiling.

"You're just being picked off, aren't you?" Fiona laughed, standing atop the landing above them. "'Oh no, Kurt! Marley! Mercedes! Puck! Tina! Quinn! Brittney!' And now what are you? Four useless kids who couldn't stand to stay and fight like soldiers." She laughed. "No matter, this is where you _all_ die."

Blaine saw red and stepped forwards, but Santana pulled him backwards by his shirt as Clyde lunged from the shadows, almost skewering his son.

"Damn!"

"Watch it!" Santana said, stepping up next to him. "You helped me deal with my parents, now I'll help you deal with yours."

"What about me?" Rachel asked, glaring up at her mother as Blaine locked eyes with his father.

Santana turned to her.

"Sam needs you. You've got bigger fish to fry." Santana said.

Rachel nodded and Sam grabbed her hand, pulling her towards one of the landings. Clyde lunged towards them but Santana stepped in the way, elbowing him in the arm and sending his sword clattering along the ground. She swept her sword at him and he back hand-springed out of the way, back towards his sword.

Fiona stepped in front of the pair as they neared the top, but Blaine had sprinted up the second staircase and grabbed her from behind, falling backwards and kicking her up over his head towards the other side of the room.

She screamed in rage and flew at him, literally flew, using magic, but he twisted out of the way and elbowed her in the back sending her back to the ground.

"Get going. End this war." He told them and Sam and Rachel nodded, running up the last staircase and knocking the trap door open.

They could hear the fighting continuing beneath them as they stepped out onto the top of the castle. A massive circular bricked in disk was, for better or worse, where their journey was to end.

The King and Queen stood on the opposite side from Sam and Rachel, looking smug.

"I'm surprised that you've made it this far." The King said. "I honestly had trouble believing a locked gate wouldn't be enough to confound you to death."

"We're not dumb...it's a gate, are you serious? How did you not know we'd get through?" Rachel laughed.

"I suspected my soldiers would be enough!"

"The same soldiers that we've been fighting throughout this entire journey?" Rachel asked. "Yes, we aren't used to them by now."

"Are you asking to die, you insolent brat?" The Queen asked, stepping forwards. "I see why your parents gave you up so easily."

"You were going to try and kill me anyways. And thank God they did, because if they hadn't I would've had to grow up with you." Rachel narrowed her eyes and stepped forwards as well.

"Congratulations my boy." The King laughed. "It seems you have the privilege of first watching my wife destroy yours before I rip you to pieces."

"I'm not going to let her fight by herself." Sam said stepping forwards.

"Unfortunately, that isn't your decision." The King sneered, raising his hands.

A huge beam of dark energy shot down out of the sky, forming a smaller ring within the cement circle of the room, cutting Sam and the King off from their respective others. Sam pounded against the energy wall, but to no avail.

"It's fine Sam!" Rachel nodded, turning to him. "Save your energy. He'll be angry after I kill his wife."

"Enough!" The Queen shrieked. "It's time to die!"

"Yeah." Rachel nodded, turning back to face her opponent. "But it isn't mine."

* * *

Puck, Mercedes and Tina shifted their weight back and forth as they stood in the front foyer, staring evenly at Riker, Coal and Savannah. Tina held her daggers at the ready, channelling her power into her fingers. Mercedes pulled her new staff off of her back and held it firmly in her hands. Puck trembled with rage, gripping and re-gripping his sword as he stared down his sister's murderer.

"Hey Puck, why didn't your sister come to the battle?" Riker asked, clearly hoping to rile him up.

"Oh she did." Puck said evenly.

Riker's cocky grin faltered.

"I _killed _her."

"Shut up!" Tina said tensely.

"No, it's okay." Puck said, stepping forwards and locking eyes with Riker. "He thinks it makes him strong to overwhelm an innocent human being. He thinks it makes him brave to take the life of good people. He thinks it makes him a hero!" Puck raised his hands extravagantly and turned his back to Riker. "But it doesn't-"

* * *

"-make you a hero at all." Quinn stared the Piper down as Brittney stood at her side, sword drawn, bouncing from foot to foot.

"What are you talking about?" The Piper took a nervous step backwards. "This isn't an issue of right or wrong! This is an issue of the strong and the weak, and darkness holds true power!"

"You're wrong." Brittney shook her head. "Darkness-"

* * *

"-holds power, you're right. But there's nothing true about it." Blaine shook his head, glaring at his parents.

"Then do tell, _son_." His father spat. "What is true power?"

"Light." Santana answered for him.

* * *

"Light?" The Queen barked a laugh. "You think the sun can help you _here_?" She raised her hands to the sky.

"Not that light." Rachel shook her head. "Light is made up of bravery, and love, and friendship and determination and everything else that we stand for. It is everything that is good in this world, and good always triumphs over evil. And you know what that means for you?"

* * *

Riker lunged forwards to stab at Puck's exposed back, but Puck whipped around and countered the blow.

"Death." Puck finished.

Savannah screamed in frustration and threw her sword at him but Tina reached out and grabbed the sword with her mind, twisting it around and sending it flying back towards the crazy woman.

Savannah's eyes widened and she ducked. When she rose, she was immediately forced backwards as Tina stabbed towards her with her knife. Savannah cried out as a cut opened up on her cheek.

"Coal!" She cried and her brother turned towards her, tackling Tina to the ground. The two of them rolled a considerable distance before he ended up on top, raising his sword into the air to stab through her stomach.

Mercedes arrived then, drop-kicking him in the gut and stepping over Tina towards him with slow, methodical malice.

"Stay _away _from my friends." She snapped.

"You can't talk to me that-"

Mercedes drop-kicked him upside the face.

"Coal, shut up."

* * *

The Piper turned in a slow circle, looking around at Quinn and Brittney as they circled him slowly, eyeing him like he was a piece of meat. The looks in their eyes, it wasn't the same look that he was accustomed to from soldiers, these were looks of fire, not fury, of compassion, not anger, and honestly...nothing had ever looked more powerful.

Quinn fired an arrow at him and he ducked, snapping back to his feet just in time to stagger backwards out of the line of fire from Brittney's sword. He felt Quinn's foot connect with his back and he rolled along the floor, raising his sword just in time to deflect Brittney's sword as it came down towards him.

The Piper jumped to his feet and ran for one of the walls, jumping onto it and planting his foot on it, flipping over Brittney's head. She turned around and gasped as the Piper cracked his flute into her jaw.

They all paused as the Piper's magic set in.

Only...it didn't.

"What?" The Piper backed away.

He gasped as Quinn's arrow buried itself in his back.

"Marley told you already, love is stronger than any dark magic. Our love, our light, is so strong, that your power won't do a thing." Quinn said. She reached out and grabbed his flute in her bare hand, then turned and pitched it out the window, watching as the glass shattered.

The Piper growled and grabbed her, shoving her towards the broken window. She yelled and reached out to steady herself, but the glass cut deeply into her left arm. She turned, grabbing her arm and panting hard.

"Hey! That's not okay!" Brittney turned and launched her leg forwards, kicking the Piper's legs out from under him. "You're done."

With that, Brittney twisted around and roundhouse kicked the Piper across the face, snapping his neck, and ending their battle.

* * *

Rachel ran at the Queen preparing a sideswipe, but the woman raised her arms into the air, taking Rachel with her. She was fighting a mage, she realized with a start.

"Rachel!" Sam yelled as she began to free-fall, but Rachel had it handled.

She dropped her shoulder to the ground as she hit and popped right back to her feet, lunging with her sword and managing to cut the Queen's forearm deeply. With a cry of shock, the Queen fired a bolt of what appeared to be dark energy directly into Rachel's face, sending her flying back into the barrier.

She hit it hard and gasped as she slid down the side. Sam ran up to the side, as close to her as he could get.

"Come on! You can do this!" He said.

She knew that the woman had burnt her neck with her power, but Rachel didn't care. She staggered right back to her feet.

The woman glared at her, sweeping her hands through the air and sending out literal blades of dark energy towards the younger girl. Vertical, horizontal, angled in between, two at once.

"Nobody can best the power of the darkness child! Give up while you can!"

Rachel turned to look at Sam nervously but gasped as a blade sliced through her shoulder, taking a gash of skin with it and sending blood spilling down her arm.

"The blades are real?" She blinked and swallowed nervously.

It was time to do or die, and Rachel had no desire to die.

* * *

Puck twisted away from Riker's sword and kicked him in the stomach. Riker grabbed Puck's leg and twisted, but Puck used the momentum to bring his other foot up, kick Riker's gut again and then land it when his opponent fell backwards.

Riker jumped to his feet and spun around swinging his sword at Puck's head. He twisted his neck out of the way but the blade sliced along his cheek, digging a thin line out and causing blood to spill down his face. Riker then pulled his sword back and stabbed it towards Puck's face.

Puck took advantage of the moment to lunge towards Riker's middle, but both men managed to just barely avoid the stabs, resulting in deep cuts along Puck's shoulder blade and Riker's stomach.

Riker was panicking internally. He'd never been matched before, and he wasn't sure he could come out of this on top in a fair physical fight. The only way for him to win was through mental warfare.

"You know, your sister didn't even scream when I stabbed her to death." He taunted, taking a few steps back.

"Shut up Riker." Puck warned him, stalking forwards.

"Then she tried to be a hero, and look where that got her! Dead on the bottom of the ocean. How was _that _funeral? Good luck finding _that _body!" He laughed.

A sudden cry of pain caused him to turn his head.

He watched as Savannah slid off of Tina's dagger and onto the floor. Tina sheathed her weapon and collapsed to her knees, blood trickling from a stab into her thigh and a wound on her forehead, but looking very much alive.

When Riker turned back to Puck, the other boy was inches away.

"I know you thought it was smart, to make me mad." Puck hissed, flicking his wrist, slicing across Riker's hand and sending Riker's sword clattering along the ground.

"I know you thought it'd screw me up." Puck shoved Riker to the ground and the red haired man stared up at him, suddenly nervous.

"But it wasn't. That doesn't surprise me though, because you're an _idiot_."

Riker narrowed his eyes and sprang at Puck, grabbing his shoulders and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Riker flipped over Puck's head, and then Puck flipped on top of him. Riker used the last of his strength to push himself on top once more, grabbing Puck's neck and slamming his head into the concrete.

Puck winced once in pain but then smiled up at Riker.

"See? An idiot." On that, he stabbed his sword straight up through Riker's stomach.

* * *

Blaine glared at his mother. She fired another fireball at him and he jumped up another stair, firing an arrow back at her as the fire sizzled against the ground beneath him. She waved a hand through the air and the arrow veered off to the side.

"You can't dodge me forever." She snapped, summoning two fireballs and sending them flying towards him one after another. He dodged one but the other one hit him in the arm and caught his left sleeve on fire.

"Ah!" He yelled as it burnt his skin. He grabbed the fabric and ripped it off, dropping it and staring as the skin on his arm burnt. He turned to face his mother and yelped as another ball of fire almost hit him in the face but he bent backwards.

He gasped in pain as his mother's dagger stabbed into his right thigh and he bolted upright again, grabbing the hilt and ripping it out again, almost collapsing to the ground.

"You can't match my power." His mother smiled, and soon your friend will be finished as well. She turned to look over her shoulder but gasped as one of Blaine's arrows stabbed into her chest.

"I'll finish you in a second." He said, running past her down the stairs.

* * *

Mercedes smacked her staff against Coal's face again as he clambered backwards up the stairs.

"How are you still moving?" He gasped.

She was covered in blood. Literally. There were small scrapes covering her body, but nothing had hit deep. Coal's aim was off, he was too wild, too erratic, and it was proving to be his undoing.

"Give up Coal." Mercedes said. "You can't win this."

"I'll never give up to somebody like you," He eyed his sword lying on the steps just behind her.

And then he used the N word.

Mercedes blinked.

"Oh no you didn't."

She turned around to look at Puck and Tina.

"Oh _no _he didn't."

Coal lunged for his sword and Mercedes whipped around, swinging her staff at his face. His neck snapped back and he fell to the ground, sliding down the stairs, dead, once and for all.

"Yeah..." Puck scratched the back of his head. "He did."

* * *

"What are you going to do now little girl?" Clyde snapped, glaring at Santana. She was panting, and bleeding down her right arm. Her biceps felt like lead, and she could barely stand, she was so tired out. Clyde was bleeding down the side of his face and she'd cut him pretty good up the leg, but otherwise he was fine.

"You should know better than to mess with the big boys. The battlefield is no place for a woman like you." He grabbed her around the throat and shoved her into the wall. She felt the back of her head connect with the concrete. Her swords clattered to the ground and Clyde grinned evilly.

"Fuck…you…" Santana spat blood in his face and he scowled and wiped his hand against it.

Clyde wiped his hand against the wall to rid it of blood and started to answer, but his face suddenly contorted and he screamed in pain. Santana turned her head to see an arrow sprouting from the back of his hand.

"This is no place for a woman? Then how about you fight me? Man to man."

Clyde turned to look over his shoulder, glaring furiously. Blaine stood poised, another arrow already notched in his bow, eyes aflame with carnal fury.

"How sweet, trying to protect your girlfriend?" Clyde punched Santana in the stomach and she crumpled to the ground as he turned to face the new arrival.

"Santana doesn't need me to protect her." Blaine smirked dryly. "She's pretty much done your worthless self in already. I'm just speeding the process up."

"Worthless?" Clyde's voice rose several disbelieving octaves.

"Worthless." Blaine spat. He and Clyde circled one another, stepping slowly and deliberately. "You're nothing but a pawn that the King uses to get what he wants."

"I'm his right hand man!" Clyde roared.

"You know what that makes you?" Blaine narrowed his eyes. "The best of the worst. You still suck."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about you stupid child!" Clyde growled. Blaine smirked.

"Did I hit a nerve?" He asked.

Clyde shrieked angrily and charged. Blaine sidestepped and unleashed another arrow into his father's shoulder. He bellowed in pain and wrenched it out, blood spilling out into his heavy clothing. He opened his mouth to scream something but Santana's swords both suddenly appeared through his chest.

"Ope, no I think that was a blood vessel." She said as he tumbled to the ground. "No place for a woman my ass..."

She reached down and drew out both of her swords, turning at Blaine's side to look up at where his mother was standing on the staircase, looking stunned and, for the first time, afraid.

"You should've killed me when you had the chance." Blaine whispered harshly.

"I tried." She whispered honestly.

He drew an arrow and she raised her hands shakily to defend herself. He fired it and she moved to block it but it stabbed through her hand instead.

"What?" She shrieked.

"Your fear is making you panic. You lived your life without learning to deal with pain, and grief." Santana said. "Now that you're not on top. That you're the underdog. You have nothing. You relied on power, we rely on heart."

Blaine drew another arrow and fired it towards her. She didn't have time to put her hands up this time. She was dead before she hit the ground, just like his Nurse had been.

* * *

Rachel braced her feet against the ground taking off towards the Queen. She dove into the air over one beam, then landed, rolling under the next. She rolled to her feet and cartwheeled sideways to squeeze between two more beams and then hand-springed over another horizontal attack.

"Wh-what?" The Queen stammered. "I'll kill you!"

She refused to let up sending a volley of dark energy blades at her. She ducked and weaved through them and ended up panting and glaring through her bangs at the older woman.

"Even if you do, there are hundreds of men and women down below that will kick your ass for me." She prepared her sword and rolled forwards under a beam, sweeping the blade out and catching the Queen's shin. The woman howled in pain and fury.

"You're dead!" She yelled, face turning several shades redder, vibrating in fury.

"Not yet I'm not." Rachel said seriously, standing and lunging with her sword. It missed her head by inches, ripping a small chunk out of her ear.

The Queen lunged at her, sending a dark slash her way before following it through with a lithe sword that she'd stashed in her belt loop for emergencies. Rachel leapt over the slash and rolled under the swing of the sword, swinging her leg around and tripping the woman with her feet.

"I'm faster than you are. I have more training than you do. I have more to live for, than you do. You'll have to do better than that." Rachel snapped, stabbing her sword down at her. The Queen hastily rolled out of the way, barely avoiding a headshot. She lunged with the sword and caught Rachel by the lower arm. She wrenched her arm away in pain and hastily unleashed another stab into the Queen's sword arm.

Rachel stepped away but the Queen reached out and grabbed her ankle, wrenching her to the ground. Rachel's chin hit the cement hard and she felt her teeth rattle. She kicked the Queen hastily in the mouth and rolled out of the way as her opponent buried her sword in the ground beside her head.

Rachel pivoted and grabbed her sword, throwing it through the air at the Queen. It sunk into her stomach and the royal woman stared up at her in shock before falling to her knees. Rachel stepped forwards and roundhouse-kicked her across the face, before the older woman collapsed to the ground.

"Sam!" Rachel turned towards him. "I did it!"

"Rachel look out!" Sam pointed and she turned. A huge burst of power caught her all over her body. She resisted it for only a moment before the sheer ferocity of the attack sent her flying off the castle.

* * *

**_The battles are almost over, and the only thing standing in the way is the King. It's time to nut up or shut up, but with Rachel gone, how can Sam find the courage to keep going? It's Sam against the King, and coming up is one of the most heart breaking scenes you will ever read. Review!_**


	17. Chapter 17

**_Alright, this is the last chapter before the epilogue. It's only 2500 words, but...trust me, you'll want to take a moment to breath after it's all over. Good luck!_**

**Light**

"Rachel!" Sam screamed. "Rachel!"

He ran to the edge of the castle and stared down, but her body was nowhere to be found amongst the feuding masses below. He felt tears come to his eyes. He had lost her...he had lost her...she was...

"You'll pay for that." He said, trembling and standing up. "That is the _last _innocent person that will be hurt by you!"

The sword at his side suddenly lit up, the crystals on the side shooting a blinding light across the castle top, causing the King to shield his eyes.

"What is that?" He bellowed.

"The light." He narrowed his eyes. The King could only watch as the light escaped from its confines and swirled around Sam's body, seeping into him and boosting his power. The light filled his body, his soul, his mind, and his eyes. His glare was piercing and powerful and the King took a faltering step backwards. "This is it. The final battle."

Sam charged at the King, swinging his sword high, but the King leapt into the air, coming down and landing on his shoulders, kicking him to the ground. Sam hit the roof hard, skidding along it, pain shooting up his arms.

The King came down above him, sword down but he rolled out of the way, kicking the King in the back of the leg and bringing him to a kneel. Sam swung his sword but the King ducked and jabbed out at him with his own weapon. Sam dove to the side and pivoted, kicking him across the face. The King growled and rubbed his jaw before extending his hand and sending him flying backwards with a bolt of electricity.

Sam hit the barrier hard and fell to the ground where it ended, ducking down as another lightning bolt flew at his face. His head was spinning though...he had all this power, but could he do it? It still seemed like he and the King were, at most, evenly matched. But Sam wasn't magic! He didn't have lightning beams coming out of his hands...he...could he do this?

There was a loud thunderclap and rain began to pour down on top of him, plastering his hair and his clothing to his skin.

_"You dropped something!" _Somebody yelled and Sam looked up as a dragon was illuminated through the clouds by a lightning bolt.

"Sam! Get up! Keep fighting!"

_No way..._Sam gasped. _Rachel?_

Rachel jumped from the dragon's back and landed hard on the roof outside of the barrier, making a splash in a large puddle that had already formed there. Sam stared at her and smiled tiredly as Blaine, and Santana stepped out of the trap door behind her, both of them smiling at him through the bitter downpour.

"This is the end Sam, you can do this!" Blaine encouraged him. "He's the only thing left standing in our way."

"Come on! You've got this!" Santana cheered. "We believe in you!"

"And we love you." Rachel smiled at him. "You have to win this. For me. We're getting married, remember?"

Sam felt the light surge through him and he rolled to his feet and swung his sword, sending a blade of light at the King. His eyes widened at his new power as the light beam sliced through the King's right bicep.

"You're not the only one with pure power at your disposal." The King yelled, shooting a blade of darkness at him with a sweep of his own sword, but he was getting frantic.

Sam ran at him again, but had to skid to the ground as a blade of darkness flew over his head, sending up a sheet of water. He stabbed his sword into the ground and used the momentum to haul himself to his feet and into a run, swinging the sword around in a circle. Sam sliced at the King's mid-section, but missed and tumbled past him, rolling to the ground to avoid another swing of the King's sword.

The King hastily launched another electric attack at him but he deflected it with the blade of his sword and it flew harmlessly over his head.

"Why can't you understand, you can never win!" Sam yelled, clashing swords with him and leaning it to growl in his face.

"I can and I will!" The King snarled, pulling his head back and smashing it against Sam'sown. He stumbled backwards and the King took the opportunity to lunge at him. Sam jumped into the air and landed on the King's sword, pushing the blade down into the cement. Sam pivoted and kicked him in the face.

"No you won't, you're evil and evil _never _wins!" He growled.

"That's only in storybooks!" The King snarled, attacking with another blade of dark energy that stabbed through Sam's thigh. He gasped at the hit but didn't back down.

"_Life_ is a storybook, the characters may be different but the rules never change!" He roared, blocking another hit with his sword. Sam took one hand off of his sword and punched him in the face. "And if I'm in a storybook, my ending, has nothing to do with you." He glowered at the King. "And everything to do with them." He gestured over his shoulder at his friends.

"Unfortunately for you, this isn't your story." The King snarled at him and Sam's eyes flickered to Rachel. The King took advantage of the upset to knock his feet out from under him and pin him to the ground, the tip of his sword at his throat.

The King drew the sword back and stabbed it directly into Sam chest.

"_Sam_!" Rachel screeched.

Sam felt a ringing in his ears. Spots erupted in front of his eyes. He couldn't hear anybody, he couldn't feel anything. He knew his sword was still in his hands, but he suddenly felt numb. Nothing but cold...that had nothing to do with the storm.

He could hear his own blood rushing past his ears.

_"Get up." _

Sam looked up and found Kitty and Finn standing before him, both of their hands extended. He dropped his sword and it clattered to the ground beside him. Kitty and Finn pulled him to his feet and he stepped forwards, the fuzzy shapes before him coming into focus.

The King's final words were still ringing in his ears as Kitty and Finn each rested a hand on his shoulders.

_This isn't your story._

_ This isn't your story._

_ This isn't your story._

Sam closed his eyes tightly and then snapped them open again. The King was gloating towards the others. Rachel was sobbing into her hands and Blaine and Santana were holding her, glaring up at the King with a blind fury he'd never seen before in them. Sam was proud to look at them. Proud that they were still ready to fight, even as tears leaked from their eyes. To protect Rachel, where he no longer could.

_This isn't your story..._

"That's where you're wrong." Sam spoke finally in a deadly monotone. "This has _always _been my story."

The King turned slowly.

His friends looked up at him in surprise.

Sam raised his palms and unleashed a massive beam of light that sent The King flying into the force field. He grunted as he hit the ground.

Sam could feel Kitty and Finn walking on either side of him, giving him strength, and the others; his parents and Brittney's and the Nurse and Bruce, just outside of his view.

Waiting for him.

Sam walked purposefully forwards, shooting beam after beam of pure light at the King's trembling form. Finally, Sam stopped right in front of him, lips a firm line of determination.

"But it's never been mine alone." He spat, raised both hands, and fired a clean bolt of pure light energy. Right into his head.

Rachel stared as the barrier faded away to nothing.

"Sam!" She cried, leaping to her feet and running towards him. She saw his knees buckle and she dove to catch him before he hit the ground. His clothing was covered in blood. She wasn't even sure how he was still alive.

Santana and Blaine ran forwards with her, but stayed just off to the side, watching, tears streaming down their faces.

"Sam, no, don't die on me, you can't die on me." Rachel whimpered frantically, stroking his hair. He smiled up at her, looking dazed, but, maybe for the first time in his life, truly happy.

"I did it..." He whispered, staring up into the sky.

He flashed back to that night, so long ago, in Blaine and Rachel's home. He'd decided then and there that he would stop the King. He'd known from the beginning that he might die... and he wasn't really surprised... but it was okay...because he'd _still_ managed to stop the King.

"Yeah, you did." Rachel whispered. "You killed him, so let's go home! Let's go wherever you want, and let's get married Sam! Married! And we'll have kids one day, and we can tell them about how close you came to dying, but that you pulled through!"

"Rachel..." He whispered and she pursed her lips, eyes red and puffy as tears splashed down onto his cheeks. "I love you." He said. "I love you more than I've ever loved anything, and I am so, so proud of you. But you have to keep going okay? Without me..._For _me, okay?"

"Sam, I can't! I told you, I'd die if I lost you!"

"Well that's not an option." Sam whispered. "Look around you Rachel, look at all of the great people you met on this journey. Maybe I started that for you, but now...now you've got an even greater destiny!"

"Sam!" She protested but he laughed breathily, looking up at her.

"I'm the King's grandson Rachel. You're my bride. Do you know what that means?"

She shook her head.

"I leave you my Kingdom, Queen Rachel." He smiled. "They could use you. Your kindness...your justice...your strength. Your love."

"No Sam, I can't, I can't do this without you." She whimpered.

"Yes." He smiled. "You can. I know you can, because I'll be with you every step of the way. In your heart."

"Sam...I..."

"Goodbye, Rachel." He smiled, took one final deep breath, and closed his eyes.

"I love you..." She whispered.

She looked down at her fiancé's body, cradled lovingly in her arms.

"Sam?" She shook him. "Sam!" She shrieked, burying her face in his chest and sobbing into the material. "Don't l-leave me! Please!" She sobbed.

She lowered him gently to the ground in front of her and looked down at him.

**-Musical Cue-**

**-Next to Normal: Light-**

"...Please." She cried, voice breaking with grief. "Please?"

_ "We need some light..." _Santana sang softly, sinking to her knees and resting a hand on Rachel's sobbing back. _"First of all, we need some light."_

Rachel turned to stare at her with teary, bloodshot eyes.

_"You can't sit here in the dark, and all alone... it's a sorry sight." _Santana held Rachel tightly with one arm. _"It's just you and me. We'll live, you'll see." _She rested her head on Rachel's shoulder.

_ "Night after night." _Blaine sang, stepping forwards through the rain and kneeling on Rachel's other side, resting a hand on her knee. _"We'd sit and wait for the morning light, but we've waited far too long, for all that's wrong to be made right." _

Rachel looked at him, tears streaming down her face, hair plastered to her head in the rain.

_"Day after day..." _She sang. _"Wishing all our cares away... trying to fight the things we feel, but some hurts never heal." _

She looked down at Sam's closed eyes and Blaine and Santana both took one of her hands.

_"Some ghosts are never gone. But we go on..." _She stood up. _"We still go on."_

Blaine and Santana both held her hands tightly as she walked to the edge of the castle tower and looked over the edge. Brittney, Quinn, Mercedes, Tina, Puck, Kurt and Marley all stared up at her.

_"And you find some way to survive!" _She sang, shaking her head. _"And you find out you don't have to happy at all..."_

She looked back at Sam.

_"To be happy you're alive."_

_ "Day after day!" _Marley belted.

_"Give me clouds and rain and grey!" _Tina sang.

_ "Give me pain if that's what's real!" _Quinn sang.

Kurt nodded, holding her hand and looking up, joined her.

_ "It's the price we pay to feel!"_

_ "The price of love is loss..." _Brittney and Puck looked up into the rain, staring at the figures atop the castle.

_"But still we pay!" _Puck continued.

_"We love anyway!" _Mercedes joined him.

_"And when the night has finally gone, and when we see the new day dawn." _Blaine spun Rachel around to face him, smiling teary-eyed. _"We'll wonder how we wandered for so long, so blind!" _

He looked up at the sky. The rain had stopped and the clouds were slowly begun to drift apart, the sun peeking through.

_ "The wasted world we thought we knew, the light will make it look brand new!" _

_ "So let it..." _Quinn joined him, carrying on as Blaine fell out. Something inside of them started to glow, green and light blue, illuminating them.

_"Let it." _Brittney and Santana sang together, looking up at the light. They both began to shine dark blue and silver.

_ "Let it." _Marley bit her lip, emanating a yellow light.

"_Let it." _Mercedes moved closer to Puck as she sang, glowing purple.

_ "Let it shine!" _Puck belted, lighting up in a flash of maroon.

_ "Shine!" _Tina joined him, shooting out a pink light.

_ "Shine!" _They all belted out. As they sang beams of light shot from their bodies all over the battlefield towards the sky. _"Day after day!"_

_ "Day after day..." _Rachel echoed, nodding. A soft, warm, red glow began to form deep in her chest.

_"We will find the will to find our way!" _Blaine and Santana grinned at one another.

_ "Knowing that the darkest skies!" _Puck and Quinn sang together.

_ "Will someday see the sun!" _The others finished.

_ "When our long night is done..." _Blaine sang, smiling. Santana joined him. _"There will be light!" _

_ "Will be light, will be light." _Rachel nodded affirmatively. The light inside of her began to grow, brighter and brighter until it overpowered all the others. She looked up to the sky and her light shot up into the clouds, forcing them apart.

_ "There will be light!" _Everybody sang together. The light from the sky funnelled down towards Sam's body. They stared in awe as he began to float into the air.

_ "Then we open up our minds, sons and daughters, husbands, wives, to fight that fight." _Sam began to spin as the light from the others covered him, almost shielding him from their view.

_ "There will be light!" _The light began to swirl and Sam began to spin around inside of it, hair flying haphazardly in an unseen energy.

_ "There will be light!" _His wounds slowly began to close, the blood wiped off of his skin in the vortex.

_ "There will be light!" _His clothing repaired itself and he was righted in the air so that he floated vertically.

_ "There will be..." _The army gawked as Sam's eyes flicked open and he touched down on the rooftop. He smiled at Rachel and opened his mouth. The four of them on the rooftop were enveloped as the light expanded towards the rest of the kingdom.

_ "Light!"_

* * *

**_Wow. Fuck yes. Love my life. _**

**_Review please! The only thing left is the wedding and the epilogue! They'll be together. _**


End file.
